Forgiveness
by Laryna6
Summary: Yugi won't forgive Yami for his willingness to kill Kaiba so easily. Yami made his choice. Can Yugi ever forgive him? KxYYxY.
1. Crime

Okay, this is sort of a what-if inspired by Devotion ch. 17. What if Yugi didn't forgive Yami during his duel against Mai during Duelist Kingdom?  
  
Was planning on making it a one-shot, although a long one, but I have only two hours on the computer, so I probably will have to do it in sections.  
  
This is K/YY/Y, and yaoi, peoples. Michael, I love you, but don't read this.  
  
It's defiantly not a PWP though.  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned Yu-gi-oh, Kaiba wouldn't be stuck acting like such an idiot. I used to not like him. The way some people don't like Tea.  
  
VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVA VAVAVAVAVAV  
  
--Yugi, please! Let me help you! I promise I will never go against your wishes again, just let me help you!—  
  
-No! I can't trust you! You'll hurt Mai!-  
  
--If we don't work together Mai will win, and what will happen to your Grandfather, Kaiba and Mokuba? We promised Mokuba we'd help him!—  
  
-I can beat Mai!-  
  
--...But what about Pegasus? With his Millennium Eye you need the power of the Millennium Puzzle, my power, if you're to stand a chance! Remember what you're Grandfather said in that dream? Trust me! I won't hurt anyone!—  
  
-And how do I know you didn't send that dream?-  
  
--...--  
  
-That's what I thought, you...you...-  
  
--It was truly your Grandfather and the others speaking to you. I merely aided them.—  
  
-And I am supposed to believe you why? Shut up and get out of my head, you monster. No wonder I can't duel! I have to spend all my strength to hold you back!-  
  
--..If I were truly fighting you, you wouldn't be able to hold me back.—  
  
-I stopped you killing Kaiba, didn't I?-  
  
--I let you take over because I didn't want to go against your will.—  
  
-Yeah right. Get out of my head, you monster. Or I'll smash the puzzle!-  
  
--Yugi, if you don't draw the correct card this turn, you'll lose! Please!—  
  
-No!-  
  
--...You leave me no choice.—  
  
-What do you mean?-  
  
--I can't let Pegasus continue to hold those souls. I can't let him take yours. I...I have no choice. I'm sorry Yugi.—  
  
Yugi began to feel himself black out. He remembered the past, when the spirit had taken him over completely, and knew he had lost the battle to hold the spirit back. –Damn you! If you kill anyone, I swear I'll destroy the puzzle if it's the last thing I do!-  
  
--...As you wish. I have made my choice.—  
  
VAVAVAVAVAV  
  
Mai's eyes narrowed. Yugi had changed. Before he had been the sweet, broken little child she'd seen in the aftermath of Kaiba's duel. Now...She smiled.  
  
"So, are you finally ready to give me all you've got, Yugi?" She asked teasingly, relieved he had finally recovered his spirit.  
  
He smiled sadly. "Correct on the first part, wrong on the second."  
  
"What?" She asked, confused. "Whatever. You're too late anyways, Yugi. I've got you trapped."  
  
He smiled again, but there was no joy in it. "We'll see who has who trapped." He closed his eyes and drew. "Swords of Revealing Light!"  
  
"Wha...but you didn't even look at the card!" Mai cried incredulously as the swords slammed down, imprisoning her harpies and their dragon.  
  
"You wanted a serious duel, Mai. I'm giving it to you as my parting gift." He smiled again.  
  
'He smiles like someone about to die...' She thought, confused.  
  
"What do you mean, Yugi?"  
  
"...Nothing. Well, it's your turn?"  
  
She drew. "I can't do anything. Your turn."  
  
He drew with his eyes closed again. "I play Kuriboh in attack mode and use Monster Reborn to revive Gaia, the Fierce Knight!"  
  
"What's a hairball supposed to do against me?" Mai asked, laughing.  
  
Another smile that made her heart break. "Don't underestimate things simply because they are small and cute, Mai. Your turn."  
  
"Whatever...You're turn."  
  
He drew, and smirked. But it didn't reach his eyes. "I play the Black Luster Ritual, sacrificing Kuriboh and Gaia to summon the Black Luster Soldier!"  
  
"What the...Oh no!" Mai watched as her dragon was destroyed. 'And I've already played Monster Reborn...I've lost.' She placed her hand over her deck. "You win. I don't want to have to see you destroy my harpies. Thank you, though. For playing against me in a fair duel."  
  
"You're welcome. Goodbye Mai. You're concern for your harpies shows you already understand the heart of the cards. No wonder you're such a great duelist. You'll go far."  
  
"What's this about goodbye, Yugi? I'm sure we'll meet again at other tournaments. I'm looking forward to facing you again, and beating you!" She clenched her fist.  
  
Another not-smile. "Indeed. You may meet Yugi again at other tournaments. I hope for his sake you do. But this is the last time you will see me." He raised his eyes, and she gasped. They were red, and almost seemed to glow. 'But...but when I was with Yugi last night I swear his eyes were purple...'  
  
"Goodbye, Mai." The not-Yugi said. She nodded, and left.  
  
Croquet's voice intruded on the silence. Pegasus was watching with his eyes slitted and Yugi's friends on the balcony were wondering what was going on. "Clear the arena for the next duel."  
  
"No." The gang was shocked to hear a voice say. It was Yugi. Or was it?  
  
"Clear or be disqualified."  
  
"I don't care. Pegasus!"  
  
"What, Yugi-boy?" Pegasus said lazily.  
  
"Stop playing around. You can see my mind, you know what I'll do to you if you don't release those souls and hand over the Millennium Eye right now!"  
  
Pegasus laughed. "Don't even try to bluff ME, otherYugi-boy. You'd never go through with it. Yugi-boy would never kill you. Are you truly, truly willing to die to save these souls?" He took a stack of cards out of his pocket and shuffled them.  
  
"Yes. You have until the count of three. One..."  
  
Pegasus smiled. Joey yelled, "Hey Yug..."  
  
"...Two..." Yami said, his eyes hard.  
  
'You don't have the will. You couldn't bear to have Yugi hate you, even to save him.' Pegasus thought.  
  
"... Three." Yami's eyes narrowed. He held out his hand,... and Pegasus's head appeared in it.  
  
Everyone gasped. Ryou fainted at the sight of the blood being pumped out of the severed neck.  
  
"That's...not Yugi." The others thought, horrified.  
  
The not-Yugi held out his other hand to Pegasus's eyes, and the Millennium Eye appeared in it. He tossed the head away, put the eye in a pocket and a deck of cards appeared in his left hand. He waved his other hand over it, eyes closed, and the imprisoned souls flew out. He let the cards drop and stayed that way, head bowed, for a long moment, until Joey broke the silence.  
  
"...Yugi..."  
  
The figure looked up and smiled. So familiar and yet so wrong. The shape of their friend, but the mind of another. But...this was not the other either. His eyes glowed with confidence. This...was a man waiting for death.  
  
"You know I'm not him, Joey. Everyone..." He looked at the spectators. "Thank you for being Yugi's friends and, perhaps, in some way mine as well. I would like to say...Goodbye. And...please look after Yugi for me."  
  
"Wha..." Joey was confused. "You're acting like you're going somewhere."  
  
"I am going to die, Joey."  
  
"What?! Everyone yelled.  
  
"Yugi will never forgive me for this: and if he hates me, I have no reason to live. As soon as I can ensure that these," He held up the Eye and Puzzle, "Can be lost forever, I will let him have his body back and he will take apart the puzzle, as I deserve. Goodbye." And he turned and walked out of the dueling arena, followed by their stunned silence.  
  
VAVAVAVAVAV  
  
'Where am I?' Kaiba thought. 'It doesn't matter. I'm free! Yugi must have defeated Pegasus! Now how do I get out of this cell? I don't seem to have my lockpicks...'  
  
The door burst of its hinges and the chains dissolved. As Kaiba wondered what the hell was going on, he saw Yugi walking toward him. "Yugi...?"  
  
"No." The answer was curt. "Get up, Kaiba, we'll go fetch Mokuba and then go to your helicopter. I need you to help me dump some things in a good deep part of the sea."  
  
"What?" was the only comment Kaiba could make. This wasn't the Yugi from school, who had surrendered on the castle battlements. This was the Yugi he had duelled against. Who had been willing to let him die to save his Grandfather. Or was he his Grandfather. "You're not Yugi, are you? But you use his body...are you some kind of ghost?"  
  
The figure smiled. "Very astute, Kaiba. I'd thought you'd figured it out after you saw me switch with Yugi in our first duel. Yes. I am the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle. Which, along with the Millennium Eye, you are going to help me make sure no one ever finds."  
  
"What? If the Puzzle is lost, and you're tied to it, what'll happen to you?"  
  
"I'll die, Kaiba. Since your actions broke Yugi's trust in me, I had to take him over and kill Pegasus to free you and the others. He'll never forgive me. So, since he gave me this life when he solved the puzzle, I'm letting him take it away." The figure turned. "Come, Kaiba."  
  
Kaiba came.  
  
VAVAVAVAVAV  
  
"Big brother!" Kaiba was glomped by an enthusiastic Mokuba, who then flung himself away and glomped ...not-Yugi. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! You saved my brother like you promised! Thank you, Yugi! Thank you so much!"  
  
A smile that didn't reach the eyes. It creeped Kaiba out. The spirit was going to DIE. Yugi was going to take apart the puzzle and KILL him. How could he be so calm? How could he be so accepting of his fate? "He did it to save Yugi and the rest of us from Pegasus." Kaiba thought, stunned. "How long has it been since Yugi started wearing the Puzzle? Three months, four? It's not fair!"  
  
"You're welcome, little one. But I am not Yugi."  
  
Mokuba cocked his head. He'd also seen...too much not to believe what he heard. "Who are you then?"  
  
"I don't know. It doesn't matter, anyways."  
  
"Yes it does! I want to know the name of the person who saved me and my big brother!" Mokuba recognized the emptiness he saw. He'd seen the same in Kaiba, during Gozaburo's 'training'. He'd cheered big brother up with the drawing he gave him, and he would help this person as well.  
  
"I don't know what my name was, but I picked one out a while ago. You can call me Yami, for as long as I'm around to be called anything."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Lets get going, Kaiba." Yami said, ignoring Mokuba's question.  
  
'He's so eager to let Yugi kill him?' "Let's move out, Mokuba."  
  
"Coming, big brother!"  
  
VAVAVAVAVAV  
  
Kaiba set the helicopter to hover. "This is some of the deepest water between Duelist Kingdom and Domino. And I can keep and eye on the site, and stop anyone who starts diving here."  
  
"Thank you, Kaiba." Yami opened the window, and dropped the Eye. Kaiba watched, fascinated, as it fell. Yami sighed. "Goodbye, Kaiba, Mokuba. I hope you are happy. Please, if you have any gratitude towards me...look after Yugi for me."  
  
He closed his eyes, and went limp.  
  
VAVAVAVAVAV  
  
Yugi had given up pounding on the doors of this strange room he had found himself in a long time ago. Now he sat in the middle of the bed, with his legs bent up against his chest. Horrible thoughts were circling round and round in his head. What had the spirit done to Mai? What about everyone else?  
  
The door opened. Yugi sprang up and launched himself at the spirit, beating his fists against his chest. The spirit made no move to defend himself.  
  
"What did you do?! How could you?!..."Yugi screamed incoherently. He soon let up his assult, dropped his head in his hands and sobbed.  
  
Yami almost reached out to touch him, but held himself back. Yugi would not appreciate being touched by the one he hated. –Mai is fine. Your friends and grandfather are fine, as well as the Kaiba brothers. Pegasus...will trouble you no more. Soon no one will have any reason to trouble you further.—  
  
-You killed Pegasus, didn't you?!- Yugi screamed in Yami's head.  
  
--...Yes.—  
  
-How could you!-  
  
--...It was the only way to keep you safe.—  
  
-Who else did you kill?!-  
  
--No one.—  
  
-I don't believe you! You can't keep me here forever! As soon as I get out, I'm going to smash the puzzle! I won't let you hurt anymore people!—  
  
-We...your body is currently in Kaiba's helicopter over a deep part of the sea. He promised to keep divers away from it. After you take apart the puzzle, you won't have to worry about it.—  
  
-What...- Yugi fell back and stared. -...Why? Why are you just letting me win? Are you taunting me?- He asked suspiciously.  
  
--I would never taunt you Yugi. As for why...you can never forgive me for what I have done. And if you hate me...I have no reason to live. This way...you'll be safe. No one like Pegasus will ever come after you for the puzzle if you don't have it. You won't be in any danger from me anymore. Yugi, goodbye.—Yami turned away. –- I just wanted you to be happy, that's all I ever wanted.—  
  
-Why? Why would a powerful spirit like you ever care about me?-  
  
--Because...--Yami turned back, an unreadable look in his eyes. –-Because I love you.— And he kissed Yugi.  
  
Yugi was completely taken by surprise. When a tongue swirled against his lips he parted them and tasted warm mulled wine: intoxicating, exotic, and warming him to his toes. –Mmmm...-  
  
Yami pulled away, and Yugi launched himself at him.  
  
-How could you?! Did you think I'd forgive you if you seduced me?! I hate you, I hate you, I hate you...- He pounded his fists against Yami's chest.  
  
--Goodbye, my precious one. Maybe, one day...you won't hate me so much...?—  
  
-I'll hate you forever!- Yugi snarled as the room vanished around him and he felt himself return to his body. He opened his eyes and growled, shocking Kaiba and Mokuba as he reached for the puzzle...  
  
VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVA VAVAVAVAVAV  
  
Yes, I know, evil cliffy, but I have to stop here if I'm going to get this posted today! Sorry! Next instalment tomorrow, I promise! 


	2. Need

Disclaimer: As someone else has said, if I owned Yu-gi-oh it would only be shown very late at night.  
  
Second part of Forgiveness. Only two reviews on the first part, waaah! Please cure my depression.  
  
VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVA VAVAVAV  
  
Yugi growled and reached down to take apart the puzzle, only to have a strong hand grab his.  
  
"No. You can't do this, Yugi." Kaiba whispered, shocked at his action.  
  
'Kaiba? Why would he care?' "Why not? He took me over, used my body to kill! He almost killed you! He...he..." Yugi's eyes narrowed at the memory of the kiss, the... violation. 'He must have used magic to make me like it, there's no other explanation!' "I won't let him get away with it! Let me go!"  
  
"NO. What Yami did was right."  
  
"Huh?" Yugi asked, momentarily distracted. "Yami?"  
  
Kaiba stared, horrified. "You didn't even care enough to ask his name? He is willing to let you kill him to save you and think of him as a thing?"  
  
He shook his head. "Anyways, Pegasus deserved it. I'm not letting you kill the person who saved me and Mokuba, Yugi. Who saved you as well. It's not right."  
  
Yugi's eyes narrowed. "How are you going to stop me?" He hissed.  
  
"Like this." Kaiba's other hand grabbed Yugi's neck, and he fell unconscious. "I'm sorry, Yugi, but I couldn't let you do it." Kaiba took the Millennium Puzzle from around Yugi's neck and laid it on his lap. He turned to Mokuba, who had watched, horrified.  
  
"He...Yugi was going to kill Yami?" Mokuba asked, shocked.  
  
"...Lets just get home, Mokuba. I'm just glad this is finally over."  
  
"Yeah. You aren't going to let Yugi..."  
  
"...No. I owe him too much." 'God, I owe him so much. What he did to me after Death-T...I can't believe I did that to Mokuba. How could I? And rescuing Mokuba from Pegasus after I failed...' "No, I won't let Yugi have him." Kaiba whispered to himself.  
  
VAVAVAVAVAV  
  
"Hey kid, wake up." Yugi felt someone shake him, and opened his eyes to find himself in a limo, being shaken awake by the driver. "We're at the hospital."  
  
"What am I doing here?" Yugi asked confused. 'The last thing I remember...the puzzle! Where's the puzzle?' The familiar weight was gone.  
  
"Mister Kaiba told me to take you to this hospital to see your grandfather. You'd better hurry in, visiting hours are almost over." The driver said kindly. 'He must have been tired out to have slept this long. Well, with family in the hospital, no wonder he's tired out...'  
  
"Grandpa!" Yugi sprang up. "Thank you!" He yelled to the driver, who waved at him as he sped into the hospital.  
  
VAVAVAVAVAV  
  
Yugi opened his grandfather's door quietly. He looked unchanged. 'What if the spirit lied? What if he didn't really save my Grandpa?' "Grandpa?" He asked hesitatingly as he lightly shook the body on the bed.  
  
Solomon's eyes opened. "Yugi!" He hugged him and said, "I knew it! I knew you could defeat Pegasus!"  
  
"Um..." Yugi's voice trailed off, and his voice became hard. "Actually, I didn't. The spirit didn't give me a chance. He took me over, and..." He jumped into his Grandpa's arms, buried his head on his shoulder, and sobbed.  
  
"Yugi...what happened?" Solomon asked, starting to get very worried. "Where's the puzzle?"  
  
"I think Kaiba took it. The spirit, he took over my body and killed Pegasus and maybe other people and then he kissed me, and..." Yugi started crying.  
  
Solomon's eyes were wide. "There, there...." He patted Yugi on the back and held him, not knowing what else to do.  
  
"Um..." There was a sound from the door. It was the driver. "Mister Motou? You forgot your envelope..."  
  
"I'll take it." Solomon said gruffly, annoyed at being interrupted.  
  
The driver handed it over and closed the door, embarrassed at having to intrude.  
  
"Yugi, what is this? It's got your name on it." Solomon asked.  
  
"I don't know." Yugi said, still quietly sobbing.  
  
"Why don't you open it and find out?" Solomon said, hoping to distract Yugi. He couldn't stand to see his grandson like this. Maybe if he got him calmed down he could help him get over it.  
  
Yugi nodded and took the envelope. He took out a note and read it. The expression on his face turned from sadness to horror.  
  
"What is it, Yugi?"  
  
Yugi silently handed over the note.  
  
VAVAVAVAVAV  
  
Yugi-  
  
Yami told me before he woke you up or whatever that he wanted you to kill him, but I just can't let that happen. No matter what else he's done, I owe him Mokuba's life, and you owe him your Grandfather's.  
  
I'm taking the Millennium Puzzle until you calm down. Here's a check so you can't claim I stole it, if you're mad enough to take things that far.  
  
Yugi...whatever he did, he did it for you. Just...try to see it from his perspective, alright?  
  
I'm no good at this kind of thing. Later.  
  
-Kaiba Seto.  
  
VAVAVAVAVAV  
  
"Yami...is he the spirit of the puzzle?"  
  
Yugi nodded. "Kaiba said that was his name."  
  
"But you didn't know it before?"  
  
"He never talked to me, he just took over when I duelled. I never really knew him and I'm glad!" Yugi shouted.  
  
Then he grabbed Solomon and held on to him like a lifeline. "He's still alive...I knew he wouldn't let me destroy him for what he did! What did he do to Kaiba, to make him save him? Is he going to take over Kaiba like he did me? What's going to happen to Mokuba...I've got to get the puzzle back and destroy it!"  
  
"Whoa, Yug..." Yugi turned around. His friends filled the doorway.  
  
"Guys!" He ran over to them. "Are you alright? He didn't hurt you, did he?"  
  
"No, we're fine," Joey answered. "And Gramps?"  
  
"I'm as healthy as a horse, you young whippersnapper!" Solomon exclaimed, affronted. "Nothing wrong with me that getting my soul back didn't cure."  
  
They looked at each other. Tea was the first to break the silence. "So, Yugi, where's the puzzle. The spirit said something about not seeing her again to Mai...and he said he was going to die..."  
  
"Did he hurt Mai?" Yugi asked, scared.  
  
"No," Tristan replied, "He just won the duel with her, then he told Pegasus to release the souls he had or else and Pegasus just laughed, so he...Pegasus's head just appeared in his hand."  
  
"Uh, don't remind me." Ryou said, looking green.  
  
"Then," Tea continued, "He said goodbye to us, asked us to look after you, and said that since you would never forgive him he was going to die, and he was going to make sure the Puzzle and that eye thing Pegasus had were never used again, and then he left, and we managed to find a boat and get back here."  
  
Joey went on, "We went to the Game Shop first, but then we figured you might have come here. Are you ok? You don't look so good Yug. Do you wanna get out of here?"  
  
"That's a good idea. Let's all go home." Solomon said. "I'm just waiting on the tests coming back to leave, they said if everything came up negative I should be out of here by eight. You can explain all this to me in the morning. I'll call you in sick so you can sleep in."  
  
"Thank you, Grandpa." Yugi said, hugging him again. Solomon held him close as the tears started to fall again.  
  
"Um, before you leave, Yugi, could you kind of give us a summary or something? What happened with that spirit?"  
  
"He...when I refused to let him take over during the duel with Mai, he took over anyways and locked me in this...room, in my head. Then he came to let me out, and he told me he killed Pegasus. He said he would let me take apart the puzzle like I was going to do, and dump the pieces in the ocean, but when he let me have control over my body again, Kaiba knocked me out and took the puzzle. I woke up in a limo that had driven here, and I came in to see Grandpa. Kaiba left this note. He passed it around.  
  
Joey's eyes widened when he took the check out of the envelope. "Three million dollars? That's the same as the prize money would have been."  
  
"Would have been? You didn't manage to get the money for your sister, Joey?"  
  
Joey sighed. "Well, since Pegasus was...they cancelled the tournament." He sat silently while Yugi apologized for what Yami's act had cost him.  
  
"Yugi," Joey said finally.  
  
"What, Joey?" Yugi replied.  
  
"Can I...can I keep this? The check? I really shouldn't ask, but my sister...Sorry. Forget about it." Joey hung his head, ashamed.  
  
"Go ahead."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"I'm not taking Kaiba's money. I'm going to get that puzzle back and smash it so the evil spirit inside can't hurt anyone else. I'm never going to let him get away with what he's done." Yugi looked scary. Everyone stood there silently, unable to meet his eyes. They didn't want to see what their friend had become.  
  
VAVAVAVAVAV  
  
Yugi lay awake in bed. It was good to be home. He could almost pretend that everything was back to normal, except for one thing. The absence of a golden weight around his neck.  
  
"Yami. Darkness. It fits. It's what you are." He muttered to himself. 'How could you? Pretending to be my friend all that time, helping me...why? Why didn't you just kill Pegasus in the first place if you could?'  
  
He felt empty inside. He tried to tell himself that it was the weight of his betrayal, but he knew it was more. Something was missing. A warmth, a presence in his mind...  
  
'The definition of addiction, they said in health class, is a physical change in the brain that causes you to crave something. Am I addicted to him? What did he do to me? He had months to work on me. I was so calm, I thought it was...I don't know what I thought about the voice in my mind, telling me what to do. I didn't think about it.'  
  
He opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. 'I can't quit thinking about him. I reach out, even though I try to stop myself, and I almost cry when I realize there's nothing there. Is that what he's counting on? Give me some time alone and I'll crack? I've grown used to depending on him to do things for me. I'm not used to being strong on my own...how long can I hold out?'  
  
'I just need to smash that damn puzzle. Kill him and his spells should cease. I have to get it from Kaiba, no way he'll just hand it over...I have to destroy him. If it hadn't been for me, he wouldn't have been brought into this world. The destruction he causes is my fault. I have to end this. I have to.'  
  
An image of Yami appeared in his mind and he glared at it. But...he felt...relaxed, calm now. Like what was missing was...still lost, but...he refused to think about it. 'I don't need you, I don't! I lived without you before, and I can do it again! I swear I'll destroy you for the people you've hurt, I swear it!'  
  
VAVAVAVAVAV  
  
_He was walking through a dark maze, full of steel doors keeping who knew what sealed inside, he was afraid, but he kept walking towards his goal...  
  
-Yami...-  
  
He turned the corner, and there he was, walking towards him. He ran into his arms and claimed his lips hungrily. –You taste sooo good...-  
  
A laugh in his mind, and he felt himself gently lowered into silk sheets, as possessive lips moved to his neck and he whimpered, feeling so good but needing, craving, more, more,...  
  
--Mine.—  
  
He purred at the sound of his lover's voice and thought dizzily, -Yes, yours. Forever and ever yours...- He reached out his hand to a spot an innocent boy shouldn't know about it, trying to get his lover to hurry up and take him...  
  
He felt a growl from the chest pressed against his and smiled as his pants were ripped off..  
  
_VAVAVAVAVAV  
  
Yugi flung himself awake, breathing hard. He was wet, and...  
  
-Yami!- He shouted into the empty link. –How dare you! Stay out of my mind, you monster!-  
  
But he knew, oh he knew, that Yami was gone and the dream had come from nowhere but his own lonely mind...  
  
VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVA VAVAVAVAV  
  
Y-n-Y: Here is the update! I'm going to try to finish this asap. A long ways to go, though. Kaiba more in next chapter, but given how slowly this is going, maybe first yaoi in chapter after that.  
  
Chibi Pharaoh Yami: I know, I'm really sorry. I have to post this now too. I want to be home with 24/7 computer access! Wah!  
  
Please review! 


	3. Bonding

Disclaimer: If I owned Yu-gi-oh, there's no way they would have been allowed to make it into a KIDS show. NC-17 all the way!  
  
VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVA VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAV  
  
"Go to bed, Mokuba. It's getting late."  
  
"Alright." Mokuba said dragging his eyes from the golden object on the tabletop that had occupied their attention since they got back from Duelist Kingdom. "But you'd better get to bed soon too, big brother. If you want to go to school and work tomorrow. Are you sure you won't stay home?" He pleaded, with puppy dog eyes.  
  
"No, Mokuba. I need to get right back to my company and deal with those traitors."  
  
"You could at least skip school..."  
  
"I've missed enough already. Sorry, Mokuba," He sighed. "I shouldn't be so hard on you for looking after me, but I really just want things to get back to normal. Go on, get to bed."  
  
"Night, big brother."  
  
"Night, Mokuba."  
  
As his brother clonked up the stairs, Kaiba took another sip of his coffee and continued staring at the puzzle. Such a strange object. Computers he knew about, but how could pieces of gold contain a mind? How could a piece of jewellery steal souls like Pegasus had? What else could this puzzle do?  
  
He'd felt strange when he took the loop from around Yugi's neck and laid the puzzle next to Mokuba in the back seat. Mokuba hadn't touched it for some reason. Perhaps he wanted to respect Yami's privacy. Kaiba had picked it up in his jacket. For some reason...  
  
He wanted to touch it. He reached out his hand, and then jerked it back. 'Come on, Kaiba. You're being superstitious: it's not going to bite you. Of course you want to touch it, you're curious. You want to see if Yami's alright, you haven't heard from him since he let Yugi take control. Just pick it up and lock it in the safe, you don't want to leave this much solid gold around in plain sight. Not that anyone could break into My house.'  
  
He reached over to pick it up, and jerked his hand away as it started to glow. 'What the hell?'  
  
The glow took on the form of a figure: and a copy of Yugi appeared on the tabletop. "Yami...?"  
  
The figure opened his eyes. Ruby eyes were dimmed by tiredness and something else. "Kaiba? Where...What is going on? Why am I still alive? Where..." He trailed off helplessly.  
  
"Yami? What...Why do you have a body? If you can make one, why haven't you before?" Kaiba asked, recovering from the shock.  
  
"I felt a presence, and wished to communicate. Since my link is gone," Eyes looked suddenly despairing, and then Yami shook himself, "I needed to physically speak to communicate. Now, Kaiba," Red eyes narrowed, regaining some of their old fire, "Why am I here?"  
  
"Well, Yugi was going to kill you, and I couldn't just let him, so I knocked him out, sent him home, and I brought the puzzle here. What happened to you?"  
  
"You dared interfere with Yugi?! And you touched the puzzle to take it from its master without being harmed? I assume he didn't just hand it over." Yami growled.  
  
"Yes, I took it from around his neck. What about it?" Kaiba was getting annoyed. He saves this guy's life, and he gets twenty questions?  
  
"You nearly died, Kaiba. However, the puzzle seems to have accepted you as its new master, since Yugi rejected it by deciding to take it apart. However, I do not accept you as my Master." Red eyes glared.  
  
"Why, Kaiba? Why did you place your life in grave danger to prevent Yugi from carrying out his punishment of the one who stole his body and will and used them to kill? You had no right to do it."  
  
"What do you mean, I almost died?" Kaiba was getting freaked. He hadn't intended THAT.  
  
"The Millennium Items do not approve of those they have not chosen daring to use them." Yami stood up, and circled around the table, gazing at the puzzle. "It seems to view you as a proper custodian, but it is not willing to let you use its powers. Otherwise, we would be linked."  
  
"Linked?"  
  
"Our souls and minds bound together, as mine and Yugi's were." Yami had seemed almost normal during this exchange. The same confidant rival Kaiba...admired. He could admit that. Now, he gasped.  
  
Yami had dropped to his knees and held his head in his hands.  
  
'What do I do? I can't leave him like this...' Kaiba knelt next to him, and put his hand on Yami's shoulder. "What is it?"  
  
"Yugi...when he decided to break the puzzle, when he rejected me...our link was broken." Yami looked up, and his eyes were despairing. "How do you stand it, Kaiba?"  
  
"Stand what?" Kaiba asked, confused.  
  
"Being alone. I...where there was light, there is only emptiness. I can't go on like this! You shouldn't have interfered Kaiba! You should have let Yugi kill me! Then, perhaps he might eventually have forgiven me. Now...please! Bring me back to him! Let me see him one last time and let him have his revenge! You shouldn't have stopped him, Kaiba. Why did you stop him!" Silent tears fell from blind eyes. It was...scary. To see...his rival, reduced to this.  
  
Kaiba grabbed Yami's chin and forced him to look into his eyes. "I couldn't let him kill you, dammit! You saved me and Mokuba, you saved him! Eventually he'll realize that. What would have happened when he forgave you, Yami? What? Find all the puzzle pieces, at the bottom of the sea? Spending years piecing them together, trying to find the ones still missing? Knowing he killed you?"  
  
Kaiba dropped his eyes, embarrassed. "I owe you, Yami. More than I've ever owed anyone. I couldn't let you die."  
  
"Dammit!" Yami wrenched himself out of Kaiba's grasp, and leapt for the puzzle. He pulled at one of the pieces, as Kaiba watched in stunned horror, but to no avail. "Dammit, dammit, dammit," He wept. "I can't even end it myself. Not that I have the right. Yugi is the one who owns my life, since it is his creation." He sank to the floor. "Please, God, just let me die. I can't live without Yugi."  
  
"Shhh." Half-remembered instincts made Kaiba gather Yami in his arms. "It's alright. It'll be fine..."  
  
"It'll never be fine." Yami whispered into Kaiba's shoulder. But...he felt better. Not so alone. Light...not the light of the sun that was Yugi, but starlight, cold and clear and brilliant. –-Light...beautiful. But am I betraying him? I am, to take comfort in anything when he hates me, he hates me, and I'm all alone...--  
  
---But you're not all alone.--- Kaiba should feel awkward, it had been years since he'd held even Mokuba in his arms, and here he was with someone who was practically a total stranger...---But you're not a stranger: you're the one who saved Mokuba...and me. You're sheltering darkness. Hidden in you depths, who could find me? Who could hurt me? Stay. I'm not Yugi, I'm not the one you used to live for, but--- "Stay." He whispered, looking into Yami's shocked eyes.  
  
--Can you hear me?—  
  
---Of course I can. Why?---  
  
--Kaiba...we're not talking.—  
  
---What do you mean?---Kaiba's eyes widened. He jerked his arms from around Yami. "What was that?" He almost yelled, but managed to control himself. He...didn't want to hurt Yami. He couldn't stand the thought. 'Why...why do I feel this way?'  
  
"A link." Yami breathed. "We're linked. It's weak, but..."  
  
"How do I break it?" Kaiba snarled. He hated this, he did! Someone else in his mind, it was as bad as Pegasus...  
  
But why, why did he crave it so much? Why did it feel so...right?  
  
Yami smiled, the sad smile Kaiba had seen too often that day. The one he would kill to never see again. "Break the puzzle. Kill me, as I crave, and I will torment neither Yugi nor you any longer."  
  
"No. I refuse. I can't let you die." Kaiba stated, his voice back under control, his usual cutting contempt.  
  
"If you don't Kaiba, you'll be putting Mokuba in danger." Yami looked like he had when he'd played the combo that destroyed Kaiba's Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon. Assured of victory.  
  
"What...what do you mean?" Kaiba growled.  
  
"Why did you think Pegasus went after Yugi? Stole his Grandfather's soul to compel him to come to his tournament? He wished possession of the Millennium Puzzle. Possession of me. Keep me, and others will come after you. And Mokuba is the key to your heart. Pegasus saw it. Others will as well."  
  
"I can handle it."  
  
"But..."  
  
"No buts, Yami. Quit trying to make me a murderer. You saved Mokuba. I'm not letting you die for some hypothetical future danger. And you're powerful. You could help me look after Mokuba. He was in danger before I saved your worthless hide. I'm not destroying the best weapon I have for his defence."  
  
"Yes," Yami breathed. "I am a weapon. I can do nothing but punish and kill, never truly aid..."  
  
"Shhh..." Kaiba murmured, gathering Yami into his arms again. "You're not like that. You have helped people. You've helped me, you helped Yugi..."  
  
"He was only in danger because of me..." Yami whispered brokenly.  
  
---And you saved him from it. He'll realize that, he has to. If he's worthy of keeping you at all.--- "And even if he doesn't" Kaiba breathed, looking into Yami's eyes, "You'll still be wanted."  
  
"Who would want me?"  
  
"I would. Mokuba would. Anyone who's met you would. You are a person, Yami. Not Yugi's slave. You are a person, Yami. You have the same right to live as anyone else." 'Why am I acting like this?! It's not like me! It's like something's controlling me...let it. This is how I should be. How I was when I looked after Mokuba in the orphanage. How I was before Gozaburo broke me.'  
  
"Yami... what did you do to me after we duelled? I felt...free. I could see the mistakes I had made, and knew I had the chance to...to heal myself."  
  
"I shattered you darkness, Kaiba. Broke your habits of cruelty, the armor crushing your heart. Why?"  
  
Kaiba hugged him closer. ---That's twice you've saved me.---  
  
--But I also was willing to kill you.—  
  
---And I was willing to die. You know that. I fought you to save Mokuba, but I didn't need to, did I? You would have saved him. No matter what you planned, what matters is what you did. You saved my life.---  
  
--I killed Pegasus. Didn't he have a right to live?—  
  
Kaiba was annoyed now. ---Have you heard of a little something called self- defence? You, Yugi, Mokuba, Yugi's grandfather...how many souls threatened by one man's life? You saved them. You saved all of them.---  
  
--But...-- Kaiba laid his finger against Yami's lips.  
  
---Hush. Go to sleep. Things will be better in the morning.--- Kaiba started to stand up, only to be pulled back down by Yami with more than human strength.  
  
--Don't leave me! I can't stand to be alone! I've been alone in the puzzle since Yugi...-- The tears returned.  
  
"Shhh." ---I won't leave you alone, and you don't have to go back in the puzzle. Come with me.--- Kaiba stood up, holding Yami by the hand. He walked over to the table and placed the Millennium Puzzle around his neck. Then he led Yami out of the room.  
  
--Where are we going?—  
  
---My room. I know a cure for nightmares.--- Kaiba pushed the sheets out of the way and lay down, pulling Yami with him. He tucked him close, and pulled the sheets back up. ---See? This way if you wake up, you'll know you're not alone. I won't leave you alone. You're safe. I care about you.---  
  
--...Thank you.—Yami sighed and tucked his head under Kaiba's. –-You aren't just doing this because you owe me, right? I would never presume...--  
  
---Shhh. I'm doing this because I care about you. And it'll be good practice for when Mokuba has a nightmare. I've been letting him suffer alone too long, I see that now. Because of you. I owe you his life, and you owe me yours. I'd say we're long past the point where things like this can repay our debts.---  
  
--Wise...but this is more than you know. I thank you. Not for saving me, I will still fulfil my pledge to Yugi, but for letting me know someone will mourn my passing. That I did enough good that someone will remember me with kindness.—  
  
---I'm not going to let you die, Yami. Not now, not ever.---  
  
But the spirit was already asleep.  
  
VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVA VAVAVAVAVAVAVAV  
  
Yes, Kaiba is way OOC, but there's a good reason for it. An explanation for Yugi's sudden craving for Yami in the last chapter: they're both suffering from the lack of the bond. Yugi's grown used to a loving presence, but Yami has never known anything else. Yugi is his world, and his world is gone. He's got amazing self-control, hasn't he? He should be a complete wreck. The Kaiba bond is helping, it's nowhere anywhere as good as the original, but a, it is a bond, and b, Kaiba needs him and Yami is sort of programmed to be there for people.  
  
As for Kaiba, his whole problem is that he trusts no one. His parents died, his relatives abandoned him, he doesn't seem to have had anyone pay much attention to him at the orphanage, and when he finally gets the person he admired to adopt him, (Yes, Gozaburo was Kaiba's idol, why else would he memorize his chess book? And call him Pops.) the guy abuses him. And Mokuba...Mokuba isn't a source of safety, he's a reason to work himself to exhaustion because Kaiba is responsible for Mokuba's safety. And prior to Death-T, he had basically abandoned him. Mokuba was trying to beat Yugi to get attention, and Kaiba bet Mokuba would lose to Yugi. Kaiba has basically failed as an adult.  
  
Now however, thanks to the link, Kaiba has got someone he knows will and can look after him. So, it's important to get Yami back on an even keel so he can. And Kaiba is grateful. Kaiba is still really a kid, he never had a chance to grow out of it. He's kind of forced to be an adult, but he longs to be a kid. Yami is basically exactly what he was looking for on a silver platter. His instincts are telling his brain to sit down and shut up.  
  
He also has recently had a stellar example that trying to do things on his own doesn't work, that he needs Yami.  
  
Anyone still want to argue? Review!  
  
I'm mostly going too fast to give people time to review. Update 9:00 Spain time tomorrow morning, midnight California time. Kaiba gets some time to actually think, what will go through his mind? At least about six chapters left. My first story I will actually finish! Yay me! And in Spain too! I thought I might not be able to write anything.  
  
Sansi: Thanks!  
  
Swtdreams07: Um...he sort of is, but it's only temporary, I promise! And I am going to finish this soon, so near-constant updates.  
  
Chibi Pharaoh Yami: Coming up! And ta da! Here it is! (My update.)  
  
Tenshi no Haru-Kaze: Yup, but it's not so much mean as vengeful. And again, updates soon! And thanks for the compliment. 


	4. Life

Disclaimer: If I owned Yu-gi-oh, no one would hate Tea.  
  
Aargh... is taking so long to update this story! I posted chapter three last night, and I can only get ch. 2 online...I'm posting this by 12 California time (midnight) tell me when it becomes available via search, not via alert e-mail link.  
  
VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVA VAVAVAVAVAVAV  
  
'Warm...Mokuba, did you have a nightmare again? I hope they stop soon, you'll get into trouble if the people here catch you sneaking out of your bed...' But it wasn't Mokuba's clean sheets scent. It was warm, and exotic, and he opened his eyes to see spiky hair tucked under his and a frown under closed eyes. 'Yami... He's still sad...I wish I could make you happy again...Yugi, why did you make him do it? Why couldn't you just trust him? Oh, yes. Because of me.' His hand smoothed rumpled hair. ---I'm sorry...---  
  
He got out of bed and shook himself. 'What now? He looks...not peaceful, worried, but maybe it would be better for him to sleep in? No,' he answered himself, 'it would not be good if he woke up and was alone. I'd better wake him up.'  
  
"Yami...?" He said, shaking his shoulder gently. "Wake up..."  
  
"Mmmph..." A complaining murmur, and confused eyes opened...to be replaced with despairing ones that began to gleam.  
  
"Shhh..." Kaiba found himself, gathering Yami in his arms again. ---Shhh. It'll be all right.---  
  
"But don't you see, Kaiba? It'll never be all right. Yugi hates me. The only thing I can do now for him is die." The calm words were chilling in the quiet room: spoken with such resigned certainty.  
  
---Don't think that,--- Kaiba automatically responded through the link. Strange, how it was becoming second nature. But doubts seemed to slip away... ---Yugi will see the truth eventually, and for now you have me. You'll be fine, Yami. I promise.---  
  
--I'll never be fine, Kaiba.—Ruby eyes glowed challenge. –The truth is I betrayed Yugi, and you are a poor substitute for him.—  
  
Sigh. ---I know...--- Kaiba could feel the gap inside Yami, where his other half had brutally torn himself away. 'How could he do that to him? He probably didn't even know...If Yami's like this, what is Yugi like?' ---I'm not...what you need. I'm not that strong. But I can be...what you want? No, what did I say...I don't know what I mean. Just that...I want to help. I won't let you die! I've protected Mokuba, and I will protect you!--- He squeezed hard, partly to reassure himself.  
  
--Oh yes, you're so good at defending Mokuba...-- Yami could feel the pain that statement caused Seto. --...I'm sorry. I didn't mean that.—  
  
---Yes, you did. You're better at protecting him than I am. That's why I want to keep you around.--- It was the only reason, right? Not when Yami's presence was dark and delicious and intoxicating comfort wrapped around his soul, warming him as he could barely remember, warmth lost so long ago...  
  
--I'm not going to be around long enough to make a difference...-- "What did you wake me up for, Se...Kaiba?" He said, changing the subject at Kaiba's flash of hurt. Why did he care? He should be trying to make Kaiba hate him, as he deserved to be hated, as the one he loved hated him, but he just couldn't seem to do it...  
  
"I have to get up now and go to school, Yami." Kaiba said, moving out of the hug, suddenly businesslike. He went into the huge walk-in closet to change out of his clothes of the day before. Actually, of the half-a-week- before. He hadn't had a change to change on Pegasus's island. He yelled to Yami from inside the closet. "Come have breakfast with me."  
  
"I don't need to eat." Brusquely.  
  
"Can you?" Curiously.  
  
"Yes..." Hesitatingly.  
  
"Then come down. I'll be your first time, right? The cook makes pancakes, they'll be enough for you." Cajolingly.  
  
"But..."  
  
"Come. Down. Now."  
  
Yami decided to skip the argument. It didn't matter anyways. Nothing mattered except Yugi. Nothing at all would matter soon. Why did that feeling seem...wrong?  
  
"I don't have anything that would fit you, can you, you know," Kaiba waved his hand, "Use magic to fix your clothes?"  
  
"Yes," Yami said, rolling out of bed. He was perfectly neat.  
  
'I should have known he wouldn't let his clothes be wild...he's a bit of a control freak, isn't he?' Kaiba felt his lips twitch.  
  
"What's so funny?" Crossly.  
  
"Nothing. Come on, lets go." He reached for the Millennium Puzzle, and stopped himself. 'Why do I want so much to wear it? I'd better not take it to school, Yugi might be pissed off I have it, and I need him to calm down so he'll take Yami back...But Kaiba didn't want Yugi to take Yami back.  
  
VAVAVAVAVAV  
  
"Morning, big brother Seto." Mokuba turned and was surprised. He recovered quickly. "Morning, Yami! Did you use magic to make yourself a body? Cool!"  
  
"Yes, I did..." He trailed off looking at the huge table. All the places were set.  
  
Following the line of Yami's gaze, Kaiba sighed. "The maids do it like that. I don't know why, I give them plenty of warning if I'm going to throw a business dinner, and the silverware gets all dusty...but it's convenient today. Pull up a chair," Kaiba said, motioning at the stack of pancakes, "And help yourself. There's about twice what we can eat, even with you here, unless you eat as much as that puppy Wheeler."  
  
Yami glared. "Do not make fun of Joey. There is more to him than you think."  
  
Kaiba tried to keep his lips from twitching upward in his usual excuse for a smile. Yami was acting more...alive now that he was being forced to interact. "Whatever. Sit. Eat."  
  
Yami tentatively sat down, took the tongs and took a pancake. "That's all?" Mokuba asked. "I can eat seven!"  
  
"And give yourself a stomachache." Kaiba interjected. "Don't even think about it." He said warningly.  
  
"Alright, Seto...you're no fun."  
  
"I don't need to eat at all. I'm only taking one to be polite. I am a guest here, albeit an unwilling one."  
  
Mokuba chose to ignore that. He reached over and pushed the syrup and butter towards Yami. "Here. Put the butter on with the knife and then pour on the syrup. It's great!"  
  
"I've seen how to do it in Yugi's memories."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"How can you look at Yugi's memories if you aren't linked anymore?" Kaiba was surprised.  
  
"I have a copy of them. At least up to the moment the puzzle was solved. After that I know of the times I was awake and the information I looked for in Yugi's mind about what was going on."  
  
"Oh." Both Kaiba brothers said.  
  
"Jinx! One, two three..." Mokuba said teasingly.  
  
Kaiba fake-punched him on the shoulder. "Cut it out, Mokuba."  
  
Shock and glee shone on Mokuba's face as he touched where Seto had touched him. Was this change because of Yami? No way he'd let Yami get away, if he helped Seto like this!  
  
Mokuba and Seto happily chatted, and they exchanged a quick smile when Yami reached for a second pancake.  
  
VAVAVAVAVAV  
  
Kaiba leaned back in the limo on his way to school. He hoped that online dueling site would keep Yami occupied. He didn't want him thinking himself into knots. He'd extracted a promise to not sit still for more than one minute, and by sitting still he included pacing. "Find something to do!" He'd yelled.  
  
He laughed at the memory of Yami's shock at someone daring to yell at him. He could still feel it, though dimly. 'The link's fading,' He thought sadly. 'It's probably because I'm getting further away...' Already he missed it. 'Yugi's been linked at lot longer than I have. What has the link being broken done to him?' He shuddered. It'd been less than a day, and already he couldn't imagine life without it.  
  
His breath caught. Was this normal? This wasn't like him. He should be fighting this like hell. He should have broken the puzzle rather than let another inside his head. 'Is Yami...doing something to me?' He shook his head. 'No, he'd never do anything that would make me want him to keep me around. He still wants to die. But I can't let him...'  
  
'No one should die like that, as punishment for saving lives, to be killed by the one you love?' Kaiba shattered. 'Yes. I can't let that happen. That's why I saved him. That's why I won't give him up...until Yugi regains his senses, of course! I'll let Yugi have him back then, right? Right.'  
  
The limosine arrived at the school. Kaiba gave a quick thank you and left before seeing the shocked expression on the driver's face. But he could sense it. His lips curved up in his usual sarcastic smile.  
  
'I'm a little late, but there's no way the teacher would dare give me a hard time about it, or the school I missed while I was finding myself...I'll still set the curve.' He slid into his seat without a word from the teacher. He looked around.  
  
There, in the corner, was Yugi's little gang: Joey the mutt, Tristan, Tea and Ryou. Tea was the only one with a brain in the bunch. He was still annoyed that she'd beat him for class president. Not that he cared who won a popularity contest among these juvenile fools.  
  
'What she said to me on the battlements...she was right. I was really acting heartless. And it cost Yami his. That's why he had to take over Yugi, isn't it? Because Yugi felt like he couldn't trust him after he did the right thing and almost made me fulfil my threat of jumping off the battlements. Damn.' Kaiba chewed his lip. 'I really messed things up for him. And he still saved me. Why did he bother? Because he needed my helicopter? No,' he shook his head. "He's not like that. He really cares about people. It's dangerous to care that much. Look at Yugi's rejecting him has done.'  
  
Kaiba looked over at Yugi's group again. 'Looks like Yugi isn't coming. Right, if I were his grandfather I'd keep him home to. I should have made Mokuba stay home. But that would have given him too much leverage in trying to get me to stay home...' He finally noticed the expressions on their faces.  
  
Joey was sort of glaring at him, like he should be mad but was mostly just confused.  
  
Tea was sort of biting her lip. She looked worried, and questioning.  
  
Tristan was unreadable, as always.  
  
Ryou looked...blank. Tuned out. But the lines around his eyes... 'He looks haunted. What's up with him? Is there something going on at home? Something's not right, and he's trying not to show it. He looks...scared. But it's not about the whole Yami situation. He's the only one not looking at me. Well, Tea isn't looking at me currently. But that's just because she doesn't want to be rude and let me know she's staring at me.' He turned back to the teacher, still tuned out, and sighed. 'I'd better talk to them. Find out what's going on with Yugi.'  
  
He tapped his fingers on the desk. 'You know, it might actually be a good thing Yugi isn't here. He's got to be pissed as hell at me for taking the puzzle. Give him some time to cool down.' He nodded. 'Right.'  
  
VAVAVAVAVAV  
  
As he walked out the classroom door, he sensed them following them. He led them behind the library, his favorite spot to be alone, and turned around. And waited.  
  
"Uh..." Tea said finally. "Kaiba..."  
  
"Talk man!" Joey interrupted. "Why'd you take the puzzle? It belongs to Yugi."  
  
"Because I couldn't just let him just kill the one who saved all our lives."  
  
"What?" Joey said, echoing the confusion on everyone else's faces.  
  
"You think Yugi would have stood a chance against Pegasus without magic? And Pegasus isn't the kind to leave witnesses. You think he wants to be accused of putting people in comas? He would have been able to deny you were even there. You weren't on the guest list, after all. What do you think he would have done to you?"  
  
Joey and Tea looked surprised, and thoughtful. Tristan nodded slightly. 'Ah, so one of you already figured it out.'  
  
"He saved all of us. He saved Mokuba," Kaiba went on. "I owe him, and I'm not going to let him die. I'm going to make sure he gets back where he belongs, with Yugi. So don't complain about me taking the puzzle."  
  
They looked at each other. Tea was the first to speak. "I don't think it's going to be that easy, Kaiba. Yugi's really..."  
  
"It was creepy." Joey interrupted. "He really hates him now. I mean really. I didn't think he could hate anyone. Like I said, creepy."  
  
Kaiba sighed, but inside...'So I'm going to get to keep him longer? No.' He frowned. 'He needs Yugi. He was bonded to him first. But Yugi threw him away...'  
  
'I shouldn't. I shouldn't try to keep him. He's not my property. But the puzzle is, I paid for it, and it didn't kill me...I wish Yami was mine. Is he?'  
  
"Um, Kaiba," Joey interjected. "About that check you gave Yugi..."  
  
"What about it?"  
  
"Well, um...do you know why I went to Duelist Kingdom? Well, I went to support Yugi, but do you know why I dared to go up against so many duelists who were probably going to just kick my butt?"  
  
"Yes, I had wondered. Did you have a reason besides stupitidy, Mutt?" Kaiba held up a hand to stop Joey's angry sputtering as Tristan and Tea held him back. "I'm sorry. Force of habit. Why, Wheeler?"  
  
"My little sister...we were separated when my parents divorced. She's going blind and Mom can't pay for the operation, and Dad couldn't either if he cared. So I wanted to win the prize money to pay for it, but when Yami killed Pegasus the tournament was cancelled, so...Yugi didn't want your money. He gave it to me. Do you mind? I promise I'll pay you back eventually, and I'll give you what's left over as soon as we know what the charges will end up being..."  
  
"Keep it."  
  
"What did you say?"  
  
"It's kind of my fault the tournament was cancelled. And Yugi would have given you the money if he won. So I owe it to you."  
  
Tea frowned. "What do you mean, you're responsible for it? Yami was?"  
  
Kaiba sighed. "Haven't you figured it out yet? The reason he did what he did is because Yugi needed help but didn't trust him. And Yugi didn't trust him because I made him have to let me jump to save Yugi's grandfather. So it's my fault."  
  
Tea's eyes were wide.  
  
"What?" Kaiba asked.  
  
"...That was very mature, Kaiba."  
  
A half smile. "Don't get used to it." Turn. Walk away.  
  
'I'll have to bring Yami to school tomorrow. Maybe, if Yugi sees him and they actually talk...'  
  
VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVA VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVA  
  
Again, less done than I thought. Oh well. This is turning into an epic. I promise I won't rest until I get it done! Next computer session tomorrow evening, Spain time. Another chapter then!  
  
Y-n-Y: Right, it is a good explanation. And here is more. You got chappie 3 to work? I can't right now. Poor Yugi: I feel so bad...  
  
Hikari Ryu: Here you are! Or actually, since you reviewed two, here the second is!  
  
Mullet ( ): Thanks for the compliment.  
  
Koishii no Tenshi: Thanks for the compliment, and here you go.  
  
Chibi Pharaoh Yami: Yes, he was. No complaints about my explanation? Anyone? Good. And Yugi is being annoying...He is supposed to forgive Yami, the show got that right. 


	5. Cards

Disclaimer: If I owned Yu-gi-oh, Mokuba would have gotten to bang on pots at midnight, etc. while being held captive by Pegasus. Make his life hell!  
  
Sorry this is late, field trip. Getting home from Spain the 31st.  
  
VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVA VAVAVAVAVAVAVAV  
  
Mokuba was home first, as always. Kaiba went straight to work from school. 'I guess things are getting back to normal. I'd really hoped that maybe we could spend more time together or something, he's been a lot nicer since Death-T...but I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up...Oh yeah! I don't have to be alone! Yami's here. I can play with him. It'll be good for him.' "Yami!" Mokuba yelled. Kaiba hated servants around the place so except for cleaning once a week and the cook who came in mornings and evenings, they had the house to themselves.  
  
"Yami?!" Mokuba yelled again. He hadn't gotten a response. He waited a bit, and saw Yami coming down the stairs. "Why didn't you answer me?"  
  
"I remember Yugi's grandfather telling him it was rude to yell, and I am a guest here." Yami replied, with an attempt at a smile.  
  
'We shouldn't have left him home alone all day...but what else could we have done with him? We can't take him to school...but Kaiba could have taken the puzzle, like Yugi does. Then he could have talked to big brother. Right, I'll have to nag him about that. He'll probably argue about it. It is sort of big and eye-catching. Not his style.'  
  
"So, Mokuba...did you have a good day?"  
  
Mokuba stared. "A good day? At school? What planet are you from? School is torture. Except for recess." He added, thinking.  
  
Another half-smile. "Sorry, that's what Yugi's grandfather asks him when he comes home. I thought it was traditional."  
  
"Oh. Alright. Did you have fun?"  
  
Yami stared, with one eyebrow raised.  
  
"I mean, besides the whole suicidaly depressed thing. Was that dueling site big brother showed you fun?"  
  
Yami frowned. "Most of the fun in dueling is coming to understand your opponent. What they show on their face tells you much. Judging an opponent, predicting their moves based only on the cards they play and the moves they have made, as well as any chatter they may choose to send, is a challenge, but not as interesting a one as true dueling."  
  
"You really like to duel, huh?"  
  
"It is...something I am good at. Yes, I did enjoy it. But most of the thrill was working together with Yugi. Dueling alone is..." Yami reached out a hand to grab words out of the air. "It...shows me what I am missing. How alone I am."  
  
'Oh...' Mokuba started to understand. The pain behind Yami's eyes...it was like when Seto had been tainted by Gozaburo and ignored him, criticized him. When Mokuba had tried to beat Yugi, to do anything, to win back his brother's approval. Because he needed him. Because he was the center of his life.  
  
'This is...he's really hurting. I can't just let him stay like this. But what can I do?' Mokuba reached out his hand and touched Yami's. "Is there anything I can do? I really want to help, and big brother does to."  
  
"Yes." Yami breathed. "There is something you can do." He got up, and motioned for Mokuba to follow him.  
  
'He looked scary then.' Mokuba was creeped out. 'What is it he wants?'  
  
They soon came to Kaiba's office. The door swung open at Yami's touch. "Um, I don't think he wants us to go in here..."  
  
Yami ignored him and walked over to the safe. It, too, swung open at a touch. Yami ignored the papers and cash and took out the thing on top of the pile. The puzzle Yugi always wore, that seemed to contain Yami's spirit. He closed the safe behind him, and returned to the door where Mokuba stood. He knelt down on the ground, and held out the puzzle to Mokuba.  
  
"Please." He said, head bowed. "End this. End my torment. Break the puzzle and let me die." His words were filled with a quiet certainty. Mokuba found himself reaching out to take the puzzle, but stopped himself just before his fingers could touch it.  
  
He looked at Yami to see he had raised his head and was looking at him with anguish in his eyes. "Please. Do for me what your brother can't see I need. He wishes me to live, but this isn't life!" Yami was shaking now. "Please! I don't deserve to live! I broke Yugi's trust! I controlled him against his wishes! He gave me life, and I betrayed him! Smash the puzzle and give Yugi the pieces so he can know he is free of me! Please..." He whispered the last word. "Please...just let me die."  
  
"No." Mokuba whispered, stunned by Yami's actions. "No." He said more firmly. "You don't deserve to die."  
  
"Why not? What have I done to merit life? I have killed, Mokuba." Yami was staring at him, eyes narrowed.  
  
It was scary, but going from despair to cruel anger that fast...it was an act. Yami was trying to scare him. Trying to make him hate and fear him. 'It's not that easy, Yami. I didn't give up on Seto even after years of cruelty. I won't give up on you.' He glared back, and Yami dropped his eyes.  
  
"Pegasus, right? He had it coming, Yami. I know you're a good person. You did it to help me and Seto. If you'd had a choice, you wouldn't have done it. I know that."  
  
"I had a choice." Yami shook his head in denial.  
  
"Sure, a choice to let the bastard keep us prisoner, and god knows how many other people, and take the puzzle and get stronger and do more damage..." Mokuba shook his head. "You did have a choice, but all the other options were worse. You. Did. The. Right. Thing." He imitated his brother's patented You-Are-Stupid-To-Argue-With-Me glare.  
  
"No. How could it have been right? If it had been, why would my Light hate me?" Yami laid his head in his hands.  
  
"Light? You mean Yugi?" Mokuba asked, sidetracked.  
  
"Yes. My life and my light. My love, who hates me! Who I failed! Please, please, let me die!"  
  
"No." Mokuba knelt by Yami and gently pulled his hands away from his eyes and made him meet his gaze. "You're a good person. You don't deserve to die for fulfilling your promise."  
  
"It was you, wasn't it? Who made that promise to me. That you would help me beat Pegasus and help my brother. It was you. I remember, Yami. You kept your promise. You saved my big brother. If Yugi tried to take the puzzle and kill you, I'd fight him like Seto did. You're a hero, Yami. You don't deserve to die."  
  
"So you won't break it." Yami stood up, a mask over his pain. He left the puzzle where he had dropped it. Mokuba picked it up, but only to brush the dust off. He put it on Seto's desk, and closed his office door.  
  
"Come on, Yami. Lets go duel."  
  
"I don't have a deck." Flat. Unemotional. Dead. Mokuba cringed inside.  
  
"You built a deck to play online, right? I can use big brother's and we can duel on the computers. Come on, it'll be fun." He said cheerfully.  
  
Yami followed Mokuba down the stairs, silent.  
  
VAVAVAVAVAV  
  
Kaiba tried to concentrate. Then he pushed his chair away from his desk and stood up. 'Dammit. Vacations my ass. They're planning something.'  
  
The Big Five hadn't shown up today. He had been looking forward to grilling them, but they couldn't be reached. Kaiba couldn't concentrate on anything else until he handled them. He'd managed to get through only two matters on the stack that had accumulated. The Big Five had made decisions for him while he was gone, not wanting to let matters slide in the company they planned to hand over to Pegasus. He had to review all the decisions and find the traps. But he couldn't think straight. 'Dammit. I should just to home. Maybe after dinner I'll be able to deal with this.'  
  
He grabbed the papers, threw them in his briefcase, stalked out the door, and yelled at his secretary to have his driver be ready. He was tired, and frustrated, and he wanted home. Mokuba's cheerful presence. Yami...  
  
VAVAVAVAVAV  
  
Kaiba wandered around the mansion until he found Mokuba and Yami in the computer room. Mokuba was just exclaiming, "Man! That's the twentieth time you've beaten me, Yami! And I'm using big brother's online deck! You say Seto started you a new account and you've managed to get these cards with bets and win points?"  
  
"Yes. Hello Kaiba." Yami turned and looked at him from where he sat next to Mokuba.  
  
"Big brother! You're actually home in time for dinner!" Mokuba ran to Seto and hugged him. He pulled Seto down under cover of the hug and whispered in his ear, "Seto, Yami tried to get me to break the puzzle."  
  
Seto looked up, shocked. Yami looked at him with a what-did-you-expect? expression. He had felt the realization through the link. –-You know I won't give up, Kaiba. I will die. I will find a way.—  
  
---...--- Kaiba could feel Yami's determination. It...frightened him. 'What am I thinking? Why am I afraid of losing him? I want to lose him! I want him to be back with Yugi and this link gone and just be friends...since when have I wanted to be friends?' Kaiba shook himself.  
  
"So, Yami, what have you been up to?"  
  
"Yami raised an eyebrow. ---Yes, I know it's a pitiful attempt to change the subject, but answer the question, dammit!---  
  
"I have been dueling as you suggested, Kaiba." That strong voice, under control...was how it should be. Kaiba wished it was the reality. Oh, how he wished.  
  
Kaiba walked over to the computer and pulled up the cards list. "Wow. Are you sure you didn't swipe my credit card number? You won all these in one day?"  
  
"Yes." An edge of contempt.  
  
---Not gonna work, Yami.---  
  
"Let me see your deck... Dark Magician, Magical Hats...Dark Magician Girl, Dark Sage, Magician of Black Chaos, Unhappy Maiden, Exodia, Time Wizard, Magician of Faith, Maha Vailo, Skillful Black Magician, Neo the Magic Swordsman, Kazejin, Apprentice Magician, Lord of Dragons...someone likes Spellcasters. Kuriboh, I should have known...Mirror Force, Magic Jammer, Axe of Despair, Harpie's Feather Duster... What the hell!!!! How'd you get a Blue Eyes!!!? They only released four! I haven't been able to track down the fourth yet..."  
  
"Planning to put a virus in it?" Yami's lips curled.  
  
"Ha ha, very funny." 'He made a joke...? Gallows humor, I can't really take it as a good sign...' "Seriously, how'd you manage it?"  
  
"The username was Victory.exe. She used the Gate Guardian combo, a trap heavy deck. I won the Kazejin off her, why I dueled her in the first place. We dueled around fifteen times. She had to sign off, but she was so grateful for having a fun time dueling she gave me the card. Attempt to bribe me into dueling her again and giving her a chance to recover from so many defeats in a row. Suggested I use it to beat you. Guessed I was Yugi, but I had to tell her no."  
  
"Vicky...I should have known! She's the British Champion. Considers me a total idiot, and doesn't mind telling everyone why. We're about even, beating each other. She sent me a very insulting e-mail after Death-T. I hate her guts. She must have been keeping it to spite me."  
  
"She's even, but you're World Champion?"  
  
"I win when it counts."  
  
"..."  
  
'Oh yeah, I guess I can't say that anymore.' "And she can't handle crowds. The world of Duel Monsters is big, Yami. Even you won't run out of people to duel. And weird. The American Champion is a psycho kindergartner who talks to a bear. The Chinese Champion acts like a Barbie doll. The German Champion has long pink hair."  
  
"Oh..." Yami had lost interest.  
  
'Well, I know how to distract you.' "Come on." Kaiba turned towards the door, Yami following wordlessly.  
  
They went down two flights of stairs to the basement. Kaiba opened a door to a room lined with small drawers with labels in different colors. Kaiba's gaze travelled down a wall of gold drawers. "Rare, 2500, non-effect...here." He pulled open a drawer and took out a stack of cards. He took one out and handed it to Yami. It was the Dark Magician.  
  
"Knock yourself out. Pink labels are traps, Green spells, yellow normal monsters, tan effect, ritual, fusion, and the rest of the weird ones. Gold drawers are rare cards. Monsters are sorted by attribute, than attack power, than alphabetical order. Spells and traps are just alphabet."  
  
"Why are you doing this? Are you giving me a deck? Why? I'm not going to be around to use it."  
  
"I want to have a chance to beat you for real. You're not going to manage to get killed until tomorrow at the earliest. Come down for dinner when you're finished. Don't try to wiggle out of it, we won't eat until you come." Kaiba closed the door, leaving Yami surrounded by cards.  
  
VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVA VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAV  
  
Everyone Yami likes is represented by a card, or cards in his deck. Yugi is both Maha Vailo ( he said it represented him) and Skillful Magician (brings forth Dark Magician). Tristan is Neo (Swordsman). Mai is Kazejin (Wind). Apprentice is Mokuba. The rest should be obvious.  
  
Yaoi next chappie!  
  
Y-n-Y: It started working for me just after I posted the ch. Go figure. Yugi chappie after next, unless things take longer than planned, as usual.  
  
Chibi Pharaoh Yami: Yes, pancakes rock. And here you go!  
  
Kyle Kaiba: No offence, but if he was going to control people he would have made Yugi forgive him immediately and I wouldn't be writing this story. Humm, manipulative concept, but not my idea of the character, I am willing to do AU, as you can see, but all the fun is in staying with the character. But manipulative Yami can be done in character...keep reading this story, that's all I'm going to say.  
  
SilverWing147: Yes, I explained. He's a little more back to normal now.  
  
Yami-no-jean: here you go. 


	6. Reason

Disclaimer: If I owned Yu-gi-oh, Yugi wouldn't be a shrimp.  
  
Sorry to freak you out, it looks like I am going to update. Early. Sorry.  
  
VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVA VAVAVAVAVAVAVAV  
  
Seto and Mokuba sat around the dinner table. Mokuba was the first to break the silence. "So? Where is he?"  
  
"I left him in the card room. Told him he should make a deck fast and get over here. Don't worry; he'll be here soon. He won't let us starve."  
  
Mokuba stared. "You're actually willing to wait for someone to arrive so you can eat with them? What happened to my big brother, mister food-is-fuel grab-a-sandwich-and-get-back-to-work?"  
  
"He just got his little brother's soul stolen because he wasn't paying enough attention to him, that's what." Kaiba reached over and ruffled Mokuba's hair.  
  
'Wow...' Mokuba was wide-eyed. 'I think the whole Pegasus thing was worth it. Better not say that in front of Seto though, he'll think I'm nuts.'  
  
Kaiba's eyes widened and he turned. "Hello, Yami."  
  
'What?" Mokuba wondered. "How'd you know he was there? I didn't hear a thing."  
  
"As Kaiba holds the puzzle, we are bonded. Unless we block each other or are separated by distance, we know each other's thoughts and feelings." Yami answered. "We can also speak thus."  
  
"Telepathy? Cool!" Mokuba was enthusiastic.  
  
---So I can shut you out? Thank god.---  
  
--Realizing it's not good to have me in your head, Kaiba? Actually, I can shut you out. You couldn't keep me out if I really wanted to know what was going on. Yugi tried to shut me out. I still took over his body. And I can do the same to yours.---  
  
"Here." Kaiba said, ignoring him. He served Yami one of the steaks that the cook had left to keep warm in the oven. "Eat. And don't scarf it down and leave. We're all staying here until we've all finished. And we are talking."  
  
Mokuba was bug-eyed. "Wow. A real family dinner."  
  
Kaiba smiled. "Get used to it."  
  
Yami's lip twitched upwards. Mokuba saw it. Kaiba felt it. They shared a glance.  
  
VAVAVAVAVAV  
  
Kaiba had Yami follow him upstairs and into his room. He sat down on the floor and motioned for Yami to join him. "Got your deck?"  
  
"Yes." Yami pulled it out of a holster on his belt.  
  
"Wait a minute." Kaiba said. "Where'd you get a belt?"  
  
"I made it." Yami replied. "Where did you think I got these clothes? The puzzle just made the body. If I hadn't had an image of myself clothed and made them automatically, I would have been naked when I manifested."  
  
Kaiba shut down the link. Fast. And looked away.  
  
Yami, shuffling his cards, didn't notice. He continued, "I usually change Yugi's appearance a little. He pays no attention to clothing, in fact he owns practically nothing but school uniforms, but," Yami blushed. "I seem to be a little vain. I prefer boots to sneakers, and I adjust the jacket a little." Yami laughed. "It's such a silly thing to do."  
  
"I remember noticing the boots when we duelled." Kaiba replied, back under control. "It's okay to pay attention to looks. Why do you think I wear a trench coat? It's good to look good, because it's fun." He smirked. "And it intimidates people."  
  
Yami cocked his head. "Why bother? Anyone weak enough to be swayed by such things can be defeated easily enough without it."  
  
"It's a plus if you can get them not to challenge you in the first place, and waste your time."  
  
Yami seemed even more puzzled. "But I like being challenged. Coming to understand your opponent, realizing what...makes them tick? is very fun, even if they aren't that strong. By understanding them, you understand yourself. And coming to know someone better is always worth it." He turned his head away. "At least, I liked it."  
  
Kaiba shook his head. Just when he thought he understood Yami...he just didn't get how he could care about people that much. Wanting to know them, even the weaklings who didn't deserve his time...  
  
"Whatever. Got your cards shuffled?" At Yami's nod, he said, "Let's duel!"  
  
--I don't understand why I made this deck, Kaiba. I should be making you hate me, not challenge me. But I just can't seem to turn down a challenge. Just like at the castle...--  
  
---And you're a good person and you don't have it in you to be deliberately cruel. Not like me. :smirk: I'm going to beat you into the floor, and I'm going to laugh.---  
  
:laugh: --Dream on.—  
  
Kaiba almost laughed himself. Look at this hand! Two blue-eyes, defence paralysis...he was going to finish Yami fast. He'd given him too much time to plan before. Beat him down... Just like everyone else he duelled. He blocked the link, and felt Yami close his side. Even with feelings walled off, it still felt more natural to talk mind to mind. Why did this feel so right, when he'd known it such a short time?  
  
---I play the blue-eyes in attack mode and lay these two cards face down.--- The Blue Eyes appeared on the field, just like it had the first time he played Yami. He hesitatingly reached out to touch it, and found it as solid as he was. It purred as he stroked it. 'So I guess you aren't going to self- destruct on me, are you?'  
  
Yami smiled. 'I guess he's finally starting to find the Heart of the Cards. I knew, when he drew the Blue-Eyes against Pegasus...' He shook his head. This was a duel. He owed it to Kaiba to concentrate on it. 'But, I could lose deliberately...that would make Kaiba think I'm weak and he wouldn't feel the need to keep me around to challenge me...'  
  
Yami shook his head in negation. 'No! What am I thinking! I can't let Kaiba's victory be a lie! I couldn't deny him the chance to prove himself! That would be cruel!'  
  
--I lay this card face down and play the Dark Magician...-- The mage appeared on the field with a flourish, and smiled at Yami. He smiled back.  
  
---Hold it! Activate Defence paralysis!--- Kaiba smirked.  
  
Yami laughed. --Who said I was placing him in defence mode? I call him in attack, and equip him with the Axe of Despair, raising him to 3500 attack points. Dark Magician, attack the Blue-Eyes White Dragon! Despair Spell Attack!—  
  
---Bad move, Yugi! I activate De-Spell!---  
  
--And I activate Mystical Space Typhoon!—The tornado hurled across the field, followed by the Magician's strike. The Blue-Eyes...was it crying...it looked at Kaiba, sorry it had failed him, and disappeared.  
  
--That brings you down to 1500 life points, Kaiba.—Yami smirked. –I'm going to show you that you have no hope against me, so you won't waste my time by challenging me again.—  
  
---Dream on. No matter what, one of these days I'm going to beat you.--- Kaiba drew. 'Good, this should buy me some time...' ---I play my second Blue- Eyes, and activate the field card Luminous Spark, increasing it's attack power to 3500, the same as your Magician.--- Field cards were new since Duelist Kingdom. No way Yami'd be able to counter it!  
  
The field was filled with radiant light, and the dragon within it looked like an angel. 'I should have it attack, and take Yami's Magician down with it...but I can't just let it die! Yami's soft on his cards, so he won't suicide his Magician either. I just have to have my beauty hold him off until I can draw something good.' He stroked this Blue-Eyes as well. Damn, they were cute.  
  
Yami smirked, and drew. He lay the card down. Mystic Plasma Zone! Playing a new field card deactivated Luminous Spark, lowering his Blue-Eyes back down to 3000. What's more, this one increased Dark monsters by 500, so the Magician was not 4000!  
  
---What the hell!?--- Kaiba was incoherent.  
  
--The people online were talking about the new booster pack's cards, and you had them in advance, so I could find this one in your collection. Dark Magician, attack!—  
  
Kaiba groaned. His life points were down to 500, and Yami had only had two turns! ---You weren't this good at Duelist Kingdom!---  
  
--There, I was playing with Yugi's Grandfather's deck. It was willing to aid me, but one constructed entirely of my allies is much more responsive.—  
  
---Allies?---  
  
--Those monsters that wish to help you. Like the Blue-Eyes is your ally, heaven knows why, after you tore up that card. You don't have many more. Monsters, like people, don't appreciate being just used, Kaiba.—  
  
---That...makes sense.---  
  
--?—  
  
Kaiba laughed. ---Well, after getting my soul stolen, having my Blue-Eyes show up just when I needed her, and having an ancient spirit in my head, I'd be a fool to be a sceptic. So, I need allies to beat you, huh? Just you wait, Yami.—- 'He even cares about cards...'  
  
--...I won't be around for long, Kaiba...--  
  
---That's what you think.--- Kaiba drew, and sighed. ---I forfeit. With defence paralysis in play, I can't stall, and I don't have anything to take out that Magician. I'm dead next turn, and no point in pissing off a monster by putting it out just to get slaughtered for no reason.---  
  
--Wise. Do you wish to play again?—  
  
Kaiba smiled. There had been more than politeness in that voice. Yami wanted to continue.  
  
---No. No point, I'd just get creamed again. I want you to help me with something.---  
  
"What?" Yami said, breaking the silence. He let up the walls around his feelings. Kaiba would soon tire of someone else in his head.  
  
Kaiba did the same. "Since the thing you did to me at Death-T took me away from my company, my underlings have been making decisions. I want you to help me find the ones that are just for their own benefit, not mine."  
  
"How would I know what to look for? I don't know these men, and I don't know business."  
  
"You can look at Yugi's memories, right? Copy mine. Just the related ones, mind."  
  
Yami stared. "You're willing to let me..."  
  
"You might as well make yourself useful. Come on, let's get on with it." Kaiba pulled the papers out of his briefcase.  
  
Yami read fast. He just looked at each page, and turned to the next. Kaiba could feel...flickers. Light touches, questioning, getting their answer, and returning their attention to the subject. In the time it took Kaiba to get through three pages of legalese, Yami had finished the stack.  
  
"Well?"  
  
"The lawyer. He is a specialist in hostile takeovers, yet he has retained three experts on transfer and monopoly law, at very high rates and for a limited time. Perhaps to find weaknesses in the regulation that requires a Kaiba heir to sign over the company? And to aid in the merger with Industrial Illusions? The engineer has been making overtures to military designers. The personnel manager has put on notice many of you most loyal employees, you had best nip that in the bud and get back the ones already fired, on very flimsy excuses, I might add. They've also given a bonus to one of your game designers, on the Virtual World project. Tampering? Or investigating its military applications, as your stepfather did?"  
  
Kaiba hadn't wanted Yami to see that.  
  
"That's about all." Yami turned to Kaiba. "Don't think I don't know what you're doing. Dueling, challenges to my mind...you're trying to show me how good life is. To tempt me into staying alive." He shook his head. "Kaiba, I know what you've only now realized, since you almost lost Mokuba. Life, without love, is not worth living. I have betrayed the one I love. Now, he hates me. I reach out, and there is only emptiness where our bond once was. No one cares for me." He sighed.  
  
"Kaiba...you're trying to show me I can help you, that I can be valued for what I can do, for my mind. You...even after what Yugi stopped me from doing to you, you still wish me to live. That is very noble, but...what do I have to live for?" Tears gleamed in his eyes.  
  
---Yami...---Kaiba was stunned. Yami had seen what he was trying to do. He hadn't even known, been aware that that was what he was doing, but, he was. Trying to convince Yami to stay, that he was needed. That Kaiba needed him. 'But...I've never needed anybody!' Yet he had. His parents. The father he had imagined Gozaburo to be, one who did what he did to help Kaiba, make him strong, until that day...Mokuba. He'd always needed Mokuba. To need him. To give him a reason. Like Yami needed him, now.  
  
He reached over, and pulled Yami to him. He did not resist. ---You... I do need you. You're...everything I wish I was. Someone I can look up to. Someone who can protect me, and Mokuba, when I can't. Someone who won't abandon us. Can't you live for me, as you did for Yugi?---  
  
--Need is not love.—  
  
Kaiba pulled Yami closer. Held him as tight as he could. He could feel tears trickling down his neck, from where Yami's head rested on his shoulder.  
  
---I don't...it's not just need, Yami. You...you see me. I'm Kaiba to you, the one who defends his brother, the one who needs help, not the cruel millionaire...I don't know what to say. Just...you are what I need. What I've been searching for, without knowing. And now that I've found you, if you left...Out of all the people in this world, I want you by my side. I want to spend time with you. I want to help you, and have you help me. I want to know your every thought, and share mine with you, because I know you would never use them to hurt me...--- His breath caught. He tilted his head down, and kissed Yami on the forehead. ---I want to spend my life with you.--- He said, to the awed silence in his mind. ---If that's not what love, what is?- --  
  
VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVA VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAV  
  
Too ooc? Please reassure me. Should I never try Kaiba fluff again? This is hard! They don't show him like this in the show, so I don't have a model. I'm trying to copy this off the Mokuba reunion scene, he means everything to me, etc. Did I do okay? Remember, this is kind of a pivotal series of events. He's changed a lot, but I think it is changes he would go through, in this situation...whatever.  
  
Hopefully Yaoi next chapter, after a lot of talking. Then the morning after, and then I'll get to Yugi again. Sorry! This is turning out to be a ton longer than I thought.  
  
Chibi Pharaoh Yami: Sorry re delay in Yugi!  
  
Kawaii Chibi Yugi: K/YY/Y. Like I said in the summary. Threesome. Although I'll be ending before too much of that...  
  
LadySaturnGirl: Word!  
  
Y-n-Y: Thanks! I needed to do an OC that would have a good reason for having a blue-eyes, but would be willing to hand it over...also wanted Kaiba to have competition. Don't worry, she won't show up again. I hate Mary- Sues!  
  
SilverWing147: Whoa, calm down! Being that enthusiastic can't be good for you. Thanks, though! 


	7. Love

Disclaimer: If I owned Yu-gi-oh, there would be more actual talking! And not just about what they are doing in duels!  
  
VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVA VAVAVAVAVAVAVAV  
  
Yami was still for a long time after Kaiba kissed him. Kaiba just held him, feeling the shock, and confusion, and...the emotion was too complex to identify, but it kept Kaiba from worrying. Whatever was going to happen, Yami wasn't going to hate him for it.  
  
"Kaiba..." Yami finally spoke aloud. "This is...why? You barely know me...I don't...I don't know what to do about this. It's just...I want to be loved, I need someone to care about me right now. I feel...grateful, and I think...I don't really know what I feel about you."  
  
He stayed silent for a little while longer, thinking. His mind was so controlled that Kaiba could feel only the occasional flashes of wondering, determination to know what was going on in he chaotic heart.  
  
"I wouldn't do that to you. I wouldn't do that to anyone. I wouldn't say I loved you just so you would love me back, but I want you to love me...Why? Is it just because part of me doesn't want to die and I want an excuse? I feel..."  
  
"What do you feel?" Kaiba spoke aloud, because Yami seemed to feel the need to. Perhaps he wanted things to be as if there was no link, just two people...perhaps because his thoughts were so confused the blurriness of words were actually clearer. Perhaps the act of phrasing his thoughts helped clarify them.  
  
"I feel...the first impression I had of you, was from Yugi's memories. I was given them when I was brought to life...he admired you. How you were alone, as he was except for Tea, but you wanted it that way, it didn't affect you...And then I saw you, when you stole the card and I awoke to get it back...and I saw how it was a front, how you were lonely and while you told yourself the cards were mere power, something in you wanted the Blue-Eyes, needed it. And it valued you as well. It refused to aid you, destroyed itself, rather than let you go down a path of error."  
  
Yami paused then, searching for more words. "And then...I wanted to show you that others were important, had feelings, that you did as well. And so I sent you to meet your cards, and let them have their revenge on you for how you used them, so you would treat them with respect...and perhaps, begin to respect yourself, for if cards are worth more than the victories they can bring, so too are you worthy by yourself. You seemed so lost, so convinced of your worthlessness you needed to beat others into the dust to prove yourself superior to them. Did you hear what I told you? That I hoped you would become stronger? I truly wished that. I wanted to help you."  
  
Kaiba was surprised, but not surprised. Surprised that anyone would want to help someone who treated them as he had treated Yugi, who Yami loved, and not surprised because...this was Yami. He cared about others more than he did himself. A truly unselfish person. 'I want to keep him, if only for the rarity value.' He smirked. "Go on."  
  
"You truly did have the potential to be great. The Blue-Eyes believed in you, even if you didn't believe in yourself. And later, Mokuba...he wanted to defend you. Wanted to beat into the dirt the one who had beaten you, made you doubt yourself. Badly enough to cheat."  
  
Kaiba sighed. "I haven't exactly been a very good example. At Death-T..."  
  
"In the laser-tag like game. You gave us bad equipment. I know. But before that...I was so frustrated. I had given you that punishment to teach you, to help you. But you did it to an old man, knowing you might kill him. It made a mockery of all I had tried to do for you. I was so angry...but I still knew that you had a reason, that you were warped out of shape into something almost unrecognisable, but you still could be saved. I wanted to save you."  
  
Yami sighed. "Yugi...I was so proud of him. He won all those games by himself, with the help of the friends he had won by being who he is. And then...he lost it when he thought you had killed Tristan, but he refused to let me take over. He was afraid of scaring his friends. But they told him they would stand by him no matter what, and later...he called me out. To face Mokuba. I was so happy that he wanted me to help him..." Tears began running down his face again.  
  
"Shhh, shhh,..." Kaiba held Yami tighter, and sort of... reached out, with his mind. Enfolded Yami's mind in his, holding it steady. ---Shhh. Don't worry. He'll forgive you, I'll make sure of it. I want you to be happy. And I always get what I want, remember?---  
  
--Kaiba...-- Bone-deep relief. Relaxing into his shoulder, into the support of his mind.  
  
Kaiba smiled. 'He's accepting my help? That's a first. I think I've won this.' Smirk. Careful, keep this from going down the link. It was perhaps not so odd, how quickly it had become second nature to take the link into consideration. It was just...right. Tying the one he loved to him. 'And no way I'm losing him. I won't let him die. I'll make him happy."  
  
"You...you know I love Yugi and you still want us to be together?"  
  
"Yes, I know. Incredibly stupid, isn't it. Sappy, too. I can't believe myself. Well? Go on. I love people talking about me."  
  
"You gave Mokuba the punishment game as well...because you said he was weak. The pot calling the kettle. The only one who cared about you, and you were trying to make him hate you...did you truly feel so unworthy, that you didn't want him to waste his time on you? Mokuba pled for me to forgive you. He still truly believed in you, waiting and hoping for you to return to the caring big brother who refused to leave the orphanage without him. Who had gone through hell at Gozaburo's hands to win a good life for him."  
  
Yami paused. –Will...will you let me see?—  
  
---...Yes. You and only you.--- Kaiba opened the doors in his mind, the ones he had sealed the memories behind, and only now had begun to open. Exhaustion, a drawing of a Blue-Eyes that had saved him...  
  
"So, that is why you value the Blue-Eyes so. It is your brother's love to you. No wonder you would not let it rest in the hands of another."  
  
"Finding excuses for me? I was a complete jerk, stealing it and doing all that..."  
  
"I would never give someone an excuse. There are no excuses, only reasons. Good and bad. The issue is, did you examine your reasons enough to see what kind they were? And you had gone so long without truly looking at yourself, knowing what you would see..." Sympathy. Caring, echoing down the link. Acceptance of the things Kaiba had done in his error. Recognition that Kaiba had changed, and admiration of the strength that had taken.  
  
"And then? At Death-T? What did you do?"  
  
"We...out of the events of our life, and our instincts and selves, we form patterns, habits. Methods of thought, that have served us well, or at least we believed did so. I broke your...call it your personality. And left you to build a new one from the shards, giving you a chance to choose again. Somehow...I knew you would choose right."  
  
A gentle sigh into his shoulder. "And then...damn Pegasus. Damn him. He too, must have had reasons. Everyone does. But...I can't find any sympathy for him. It must have been horrible, what drove him to find comfort in other's pain. Yet...I can't keep myself from hating him."  
  
"You shouldn't try. He was a complete bastard." Kaiba's eyes narrowed and his hands, holding Yami's clothing, turned to fists.  
  
"Ow! Kaiba!"  
  
"Sorry. You're a saint, you know that? Caring so much about people, why instead of what...and you still wonder? Why I won't let you die? Why Mokuba wouldn't kill you? Everything you do is for others. You're a complete idiot, you know that. Selfishness keeps you alive."  
  
Laugh. "I guess you're right. Your selfishness is keeping me alive. But it's not exactly in your best interests. I did try to kill you."  
  
"And I know why you did. I was willing to die, for a chance to rescue Mokuba. I thought winning would give me that chance, but it lost it for me. I beat you, and lost everything. Lost Mokuba's chance of being rescued by you and Yugi, by driving a wedge between you. I was willing to die to save him. And dying would have saved him. You knew that. Yugi didn't."  
  
Kaiba sighed, ashamed. "You should hate me, you know that. You should be trying to claw my face off, for making the person you love hate you."  
  
"Kaiba..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I think...I think I do love you. Isn't it ironic that I'm not sure? I can understand everyone else, but not myself."  
  
"Probably because you don't care enough to look. Idiot."  
  
Smile.  
  
"But...I love Yugi as well. Yet...it's not the same thing."  
  
"It isn't?" Not knowing wether to be hopeful or crushed.  
  
"Yugi...we are one."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Not metaphorically. Literally. I can see souls, Kaiba. And mine and Yugi's...are too similar to be a coincidence. And...there are ragged edges, and they fit together...when we dueled, we were one. It was impossible to tell where I ended and he began. I long for him, Kaiba, as the missing half of my soul. I am meant to be with him. Soulmates. Literally. Yet...you...I have no choice in loving Yugi. You..." He pulled back and looked into Kaiba's eyes. "You...I choose to love." And kissed him.  
  
Kaiba stilled. He couldn't believe it. Was he dreaming? That had to be it. Nothing this good ever happened to him. But take advantage of it while it lasts.  
  
Laughter, inside his mind.—This is no dream, Kaiba.—  
  
Yami pulled back, waiting for his response. He looked concerned, and caring, and just so...  
  
"Yami..." Words were not enough. He couldn't say this out loud. ---Just for you pretend? Pretend I'm the one you need, the one you were made for? The one you love truly? Please?---  
  
Yami's eyes blazed. Horror and anger mingled on his face, echoed through the link.  
  
"I'm so sorry." Kaiba whispered. "I should have known I wouldn't be enough."  
  
--Kaiba, have you been listening to a single goddamn word I have said? I. Love. You. Using you as a substitute, a cheap whore...you truly think I would do that?!---  
  
Yami was screaming, inside his mind. Kaiba cringed. ---I'm sorry! I just...I just wanted...---  
  
Yami's face softened. He gathered Kaiba in his arms, their roles reversed. --Who told you that you weren't good enough to be loved for yourself? That you had to take the place of someone else to be valued? You've been a parent to Mokuba, the son he didn't have to Gozaburo...Kaiba, I love you. You don't need to be Yugi for me. Just be yourself. Please?—  
  
Yami kissed him again, capturing his lips.  
  
---Mmmm...Yes!---  
  
Laugh. –Kaiba...you've done so much for me. Let tonight be my gift to you. Let me prove to myself I can make you happy. Whatever you want, we will do, unless it would harm you.—  
  
---Aren't you going to say or harm you?---  
  
Laugh. –I trust you, Kaiba.—  
  
---...I love you, Yami.---  
  
A tongue flicked against his lips as he wished for more, and he parted his lips and tasted night. Hands stroked his hair, pulling him close. He wanted, needed, to be close. Closer. He tugged at the jacket and with a laugh it disappeared. He stood up and pulled Yami against him, leaning down to claim his lips.  
  
His trenchcoat and shirt, and Yami's shirt as well, disappeared and he moaned into Yami's mouth at the feel of skin on skin...warm and held and wanted and so good, what he'd missed, what he'd longed for but thought forever denied him...Yami fell back and Kaiba pressed him against...what was the bed doing there? They'd moved...magic. Whatever he wanted...  
  
Breaking for air and Yami attacked his neck and moan and squirm and so so good...Strong hands pulling him down, stroking his back and reaching down to pull him up so he was covering Yami completely and weren't they on the edge of the bed instead of the middle?  
  
Still too many clothes...but as soon as he thought that they were gone and he was exposed and he was frightened for a moment, vulnerable, but a caring laugh in his mind and he joined in. How could he be afraid of his guardian angel? His and his and mmmm...  
  
Skin on skin and warmth and caring caressed all over his body and mind and being flipped over and Yami covering him now, shielding him and guarding him and hiding him...why were the lights still on? There we go...  
  
Lips tracing down and he bit his lip and whimpered with pain and pleasure as Yami pulled at a nipple with his teeth, but the pain went away and his lip was healed and Yami concerned in his mind asking was he alright, love? Sorry...don't be.  
  
Teasing the other nipple with his fingers and straddling him and moving his hips and so so good...gasping, panting, more, more...  
  
Deciding the hell with being submissive and flipping Yami over and laughter and knowledge pouring into his mind when he realized he didn't know what to do and was scared he wouldn't please Yami...  
  
Sucking and nipping at Yami's neck hard to mark him. Mine! And mine and mine forever and ever. Yami's mind open, letting him know he was doing this right, pleased he was pleasing him, and laughter and of course you please me, you make me happy...love.  
  
Moans and writhing and slippery with sweat and getting hot and wanting...needing...  
  
Concern, and are you sure you want it to be this way? I can, I'm willing...  
  
Need and want and as you wish and no, I won't let it hurt, I would never hurt you.  
  
Never.  
  
VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVA VAVAVAVAVAVAVAV  
  
The complete version will be posted on Mediaminer as soon as I write it. My username is Laryna6 there too. Sorry! Don't want to get kicked off. What do you think? This is my first except for Yugi's dream earlier in the story. Review and let me know, pretty please with sugar on top?  
  
Chibi Pharaoh Yami: Here you go!  
  
Y-n-Y: Thanks! I try.  
  
SilverWing147: Yugi soon! Next chappie or chappie after.  
  
LadySaturnGirl: Yeah, I know. It annoys me too. Here you go! Like?  
  
Kawaii Chibi Yami: I've taken your suggestion. This good? Thanks for the compliment, and here you go!  
  
Pharaoh Atemu's Angel: Here you go. And thanks, and Yugi soon! Glad everyone likes my Yugi and wants to see!  
  
Michew: Thanks! I love my Mediaminer reviewers. Hint hint. Review the lemon! 


	8. History

Disclaimer: If I owned Yu-gi-oh, the first series wouldn't have consisted of Kaiba-bashing filler eps. I read the summaries.  
  
VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVA VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAV  
  
'Mmph... since when have I had a pet?... I don't. So what's lying on my chest and licking my face?' Kaiba opened his eyes to see a satisfied Yami pulling back.  
  
"Good." He whispered. "You're finally up. So?"  
  
He was asking about last night. Kaiba closed his eyes, searching for words.  
  
"Don't tell me you regret it now?" Yami's voice was joking, but under it, echoing through the link, was that same despair Kaiba never wanted to see in him again.  
  
---No!--- Words weren't enough. He needed Yami to Know... He opened his mind and memories completely.  
  
A mental laugh, and Yami snuggled up against him again. –-That good, huh? Pretty decent, after however many years of no practice. Of course, it's not like you have anything to compare it with.—  
  
"What?" Kaiba was confused, but now that he thought about it, who was Yami, anyway? What was he doing in a puzzle?  
  
"What do you mean, what?" Yami was confused.  
  
"I mean... who are you? Where did you come from, besides the puzzle? If you're part of Yugi, why are you separate?"  
  
Yami thought. "I've wondered that for a long time. I have some theories, but... one possibility is that I was created by the puzzle from Yugi. He wished for a friend when he solved it, and who better to care for you but yourself? I have knowledge, of magic and... other things..." He said, smirking and bending down to kiss Kaiba quickly. "But, that knowledge could merely have been placed in me by the puzzle. However, if I was created from Yugi, wouldn't we have the same personality? It's not just my whole ends- justifies-the-means thing, that could have been my design as a guardian, but why would the puzzle make me like looking good? Yugi doesn't care about his appearance at all, as I've told you."  
  
"I'm taking you out clothes shopping." Kaiba grinned.  
  
"Well, you actually want do to something nice for someone? You've really changed, Kaiba. I love it." Yami was smiling up at him, all melancholy long forgotten. But still...  
  
Kaiba could feel it. That draw, that pull. Like a magnet, but not knowing what direction to pull it, now that their link was gone. Yami's soul was crying out for Yugi. 'Still, it's a triumph to make him forget about it even for a little.' He nudged Yami. "Go on, back on topic."  
  
"Oh. Well... I'm part of him, but I have a different personality, which means different experiences... I think I'm what's left of a past life. Either I was awakened from within Yugi's subconscious by the puzzle, or I was sealed within it, which is a little more far-fetched, not that this whole thing isn't far-fetched, but seems more...right, somehow. It would explain why I went dormant when Yugi didn't have the puzzle, and why I'm awake right now. If I existed solely within him, you wouldn't have gotten me, you'd have gotten your own guardian."  
  
"You are smart. Where's the puzzle from?"  
  
"Yugi's grandfather told him it was found in the tomb of a Pharaoh and everyone who found it died cursed deaths. But I have difficulty believing all of it, he does have a tendency to weave stories... being a pharaoh sounds right, but it could just be my pride talking. I have no idea."  
  
"Cool. So you rank me, huh? That's a first."  
  
A laugh, and bending down for another kiss. Kaiba opened his lips eagerly, determined to win this battle. Their tongues curled around each other, wrestling, until Yami had Kaiba's pinned to the roof of his mouth. ---No fair... you've got way more experience at this than me.---  
  
--But won't it be fun getting that experience?—With a laugh, Yami drew away.  
  
Kaiba glanced over at the alarm clock. "Five fourteen?! I should be dead tired! What did you do?"  
  
Yami slid his head under Kaiba's chin and yawned, getting comfortable. "I'm loaning you some of my energy so we could talk. You don't mind, do you?"  
  
"Loan?"  
  
"No, not really. Don't worry, you don't have to pay it back. I haven't ever been tired. I live off the puzzle, anything that could deplete it's energies would already have killed me, so being tired is probably not something I will ever experience for myself."  
  
"You yawned."  
  
"I said tired, not sleepy. Sleep is nice... it's what I do most of the time, so I am not spying on Yugi." Kaiba could sense him grinning. "And I can't let my love be too tired to get up, after staying up late because of me..."  
  
Kaiba sighed. He didn't want to ruin the moment, but now was the best time to bring it up. "I'm taking the puzzle to school today."  
  
"If you want to wear it, it's nice you want to stay connected to me, but if you want I can make it so that no one sees the puzzle who isn't looking for it. That way you won't be embarrassed by wearing it. It is rather gaudy, isn't it?"  
  
"Understatement of the century."  
  
"Millennium."  
  
"What?"  
  
"It's a Millennium Item, hence..." Kaiba could feel a brief smile, but it was almost fake. Yami knew what was coming.  
  
"I'm going to try to get you and Yugi to talk today." He said abruptly.  
  
A sigh. "I don't think he'll want to talk to me. Could you give him another day, to cool down?"  
  
"No. It's best we get this over with. You can't avoid him, Yami. You need him and I bet he needs you. Little twerp like that needs all the people looking after him he can get."  
  
"Kaiba!" Yami pulled back and death-glared him. Kaiba laughed.  
  
"Well, that aside, he's only half a soul too, right, so if you're missing him this much, and don't deny it, it must be worse for him. He's not as strong as you are." A smirk.  
  
"Kaiba..." Annoyed, but loving.  
  
"I just need to you to promise me something."  
  
"What?" Yami cocked his head. God, did he have any idea how cute he looked like that? He probably did, this was Yami he was talking about.  
  
"Promise me you won't let Yugi break the puzzle." Kaiba said in a rush, looking away.  
  
A hand stroked his face. "Kaiba..." --Don't worry. I won't abandon you. I said I loved you, and that means I would never be parted from you if there was anything I could do to stop it. I swear it. Even if Yugi takes me back, I will still be with you. I love him, but... I promised myself to you first. I don't know if he even loves me back, or ever could after what I've done.—  
  
---Shhh.--- Kaiba pulled Yami to him. ---He'll forgive you. Just... how could he not love you back?---  
  
--Kaiba, I love you both. I always will. But if he can't share me with you, than I will stay with you. I would never leave you alone and abandoned. Trust me...--  
  
---With my life.---  
  
--You still say that, after...--  
  
---We went over this, didn't we?---  
  
A laugh, relieved. –You're amazing, Kaiba.—  
  
---Took you long enough to figure it out. We've still got...--- Kaiba glanced over at the clock. ---About half an hour until I need to get up...--- He trailed off questioningly.  
  
A laugh. –Not enough time to finish up. And I wouldn't want to get you all worked up and have to wait until school got out. That would be MEAN.—  
  
---Then get off me before I molest you!---  
  
VAVAVAVAVAV  
  
(The previous day)  
  
Yugi woke up. He felt... horrible. Alone, frightened... He reached over to the nightstand, but it wasn't there. The puzzle wasn't there. That's when he remembered. 'Spirit...Yami. I didn't even ask his name in all the time I had him...'  
  
He shook himself. 'And I don't care about the name of a murderer!' His eyes widened as he remembered the dream. 'How did he do that? I don't have the puzzle anymore, and I can feel that... he's not there, there's no connection. So how could have he have... He must have found someway, that's all! There's no way I feel about him like that, after what he did...' But he found himself remembering the kiss and how good it felt...  
  
He jumped out of bed, and took a cold shower. 'Find something to do, so I don't think about... things. Maybe I should go to school... it's a little late, but Grandpa can write a note for me... I have to get to Kaiba. Got to convince him to give me back the puzzle so I can break it... What did the spirit do to him? There's no way he'd have done that on his own, why would he care?'  
  
'The spirit did save him and Mokuba...' A traitorous voice in his head replied.  
  
'But he nearly killed him! He should be grateful to me, not Yami!' He thought as he rinsed his hair.  
  
'Oh, so I'm finally admitting he has a name? All this time, I've treated him like property. Even after I knew he was a person, I still just expected him to bail me out without even a word of thanks. I'm such a jerk. Doing something like that to a friend... but he's not my friend... but what else do you call someone who keeps saving you? Who is always there for you? I wished for a friend on the puzzle...but he's a murderer! But Pegasus did all those bad things...'  
  
Yugi shook his head. 'I can't forgive him! I can't just let him get away with killing someone! No matter how much I want to... was he telling the truth? Does he really love me? It felt like it when he kissed me, but if he loved me, he'd have let me kill him, not made Kaiba... but what if Kaiba did it on his own?'  
  
'I'm just finding excuses for him. He's a murderer! I can't forgive him no matter what! I have to stop him! I can't let Kaiba get used like I was!'  
  
'But who was using who?'  
  
"Aargh!" Yugi yelled, and beat his head against the side of the shower. He slowly sank down to the floor, and that's where his Grandpa found him crying.  
  
"Here, Yugi. Here's a towel. How about you get back in bed before you catch a cold."  
  
"Yes, Grandpa..."  
  
"What's wrong, Yugi?" It was the wrong thing to ask.  
  
"What's wrong? The spirit from my puzzle is a murderer and Kaiba has the puzzle and what is he doing to him, and I need to get to school and convince him to give it up but I don't know what I want to do anymore! I want to forgive him, but I know I can't, mustn't . He kissed me! And I liked it! I'm not supposed to like being kissed by a murderer! But he did it to save me and you and Kaiba and Mokuba, and he's right, I wouldn't have been able to save you alone like you said in that dream..." Yugi collapsed into his Grandpa's arms, sobbing again.  
  
"What? You mean... most of the time I was trapped, I was just alone in darkness, but I remember seeing you, and speaking you, and telling you to trust in the puzzle..."  
  
"That was real? I thought he sent that to get me to forgive him..."  
  
"No, it was real. Yugi... did I ever tell you how I found the puzzle?"  
  
"Huh? You found it? But I thought you said these archaeologists did, and they all died..."  
  
Solomon laughed. "No, that was just to try to freak you out. Didn't work though."  
  
"No." A little laugh, but it soon petered out into soft sobs.  
  
"I found it. When I was younger, I went to Egypt because I heard about a tomb that no one had survived. I made it inside, and figured out the traps, but one of my guides died because he did things wrong, and the other shot me to get the treasure. We were on a walkway over a pit, and I nearly went off but I managed to grab the edge...but a monster came out of the walkway and ate him, and then... I saw someone. He looked like you, and he was about the age you are now, but he was dressed as a Pharaoh, and he held out a hand to me, and said, 'I've been waiting for you, Simon...' And when I woke up, I was lying on the walkway and I took the box with the Millennium puzzle in it and I left."  
  
"Yami..." Yugi breathed.  
  
"When you were eight, I saw the resemblence to the young man who saved me, and gave you the puzzle. I knew you were meant for it. And I knew you could trust it." Solomon stood up. "Come on, let's get you to bed. I'm sorry I can't carry you anymore. Just rest up today, Yugi. I'll make you pancakes. You'll feel better tomorrow."  
  
Yugi kept quiet. This story... Yami had saved Grandpa? Twice? He still didn't know what to do. He wanted to forgive Yami. Every bone in his body, every thought in his mind wanted him back, except one.  
  
Yami had killed. No matter what excuses he found for him, that fact remained. No matter what, he needed to destroy him. No matter how many times Yami had saved him, or whatever else he had done in the past. Yugi swore to himself he would.  
  
The decision made, his eyes narrowed. He felt better. No more doubts. He would take apart the puzzle. It had been a mistake to work so hard on it. Yami had no place in this world, and he would just have to leave.  
  
He ate, the pancakes were good, and he went back to sleep. He needed to be ready for tomorrow.  
  
Deep within him, he was screaming.  
  
VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVA VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAV  
  
Pharaoh Atemu's Angel: Here you go! Yugi finally! And thanks for reviewing on Mediaminer too.  
  
Anubiset: Thanks!  
  
Yami=Uber-Seme: I hope you were satisfied.  
  
Y-n-Y: Here you go! Everyone loves Yugi!  
  
LadySaturnGirl: Thanks! And I just don't want to lose all my reviews.  
  
Swtdreams07: Really? Two more lemons this story. Hope you like them too.  
  
Sasameyuki: Thanks!  
  
Kawaii Chibi Yami: I agree, thanks and here you go!  
  
SilverWing147: Are you alright? Sorry about the overload!;)  
  
Silvershadowfire: And favorite authors too! Thanks! And are you reading ahead? Next chappie! 


	9. Rejection

Disclaimer: If I owned Yu-gi-oh, Kaiba wouldn't be the tin man.

VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAV

Kaiba ate breakfast slowly. It was great to not be rushing in the morning. He looked over at Yami, who was picking at his eggs, pushing them around on the plate. Kaiba sighed. 'Of course he's worried, he has no idea what to expect… But it'll be fine. Yugi has to forgive him. But then what?'

'If Yugi takes him back, then… NO! He promised he wouldn't forget about me! He'd never break a promise!' Kaiba shook his head. 'Let's just get this over with.' He finished up his breakfast quickly, and after saying goodbye to Mokuba, who always got up early to say hi to him even though high school started at 7:30 while Mokuba's school started at 8:00.

Before, he would have just nodded or grunted, displeased to have his thoughts interrupted. Today, he gave Mokuba a hug. Mokuba lingered in his arms. It felt… good. He'd missed this, as hard as he'd tried to convince himself otherwise. Missed human contact. Missed love, both the family love he'd given up and the romantic love he hadn't looked for.

He had both now. And he wasn't losing either.

Yami had watched, smiling. Kaiba felt his love and approval through the link. When Mokuba had finally pulled away, he'd gone over to Yami and hugged him too.

"Since you're going to school with big brother, you're going to talk to Yugi, right? Good luck! Not that you'll need it."

Yami had hugged Mokuba back, whispering, "Thank you, Mokuba."

Then he'd closed his eyes for a moment and turned to Kaiba. "What are you going to do with the puzzle?"

"I think I'll keep it in my suitcase. There's room for it and my books and stuff. I'll take it out when we talk to Yugi." Kaiba didn't want Yami to feel his reluctance to go through with this. Even though Yami had promised… how could he refuse the other half of his soul? Kaiba could feel the raw need flowing through Yami's veins. Could he fight gravity?

"Alright. When will you…?"

"At recess. There probably won't be enough time before school. I'll bring the puzzle out then. Try to sleep, okay? It won't do you any good to spend the time worrying."

A sigh, and a raised eyebrow. Kaiba laughed. 'Yeah, right. Sleep, waiting for someone you love to accept or refuse you? No way.'

"Well, come on." Kaiba felt Yami vanish into the puzzle as he put it away, and he walked out to the limo that would take him to school.

VAVAVAVAVAV

Yugi was staring at him.

Kaiba had gotten to class early. When Yugi had got in, there were too many people in the room for them to talk there. Yugi had still started walking over to him, until the teacher had called for everyone to get in their seats.

Yugi had stared at him since. The teacher had called on him, and judging from his response he hadn't been paying attention to the class at all.

Kaiba could feel the gaze on the back of his neck like a laser. It was creeping him out. But he wouldn't look back. He didn't want to admit weakness like that. So he just kept looking at his book, like the rest of the class. Even thought he'd already practically memorized the page from looking at it for so long.

Why was he reacting as though Yugi was the enemy? Was it force of habit, or…

He closed the book and randomly opened it. This was a game he often played in class. Often there was interesting stuff that the class skipped. He'd look around and find something vaguely non-boring and read it to keep from falling asleep.

But he wasn't being bored now. He couldn't concentrate on class. He couldn't concentrate on… Aztec religion. The only thing he could think about was that stare.

Yami was pacing, he could feel it. Waiting, and worrying, and bored. But he didn't want to talk to him. He'd sense the worry.

When Yugi had been walking over to him, his face was… hard. Under it… was Yugi worried about him? What Pegasus had done to him… or what Yami had?

Perhaps Yugi had just been determined to get the puzzle and Yami back. After all, the old Seto Kaiba could hardly be expected to give up a powerful magical talisman without a fight.

Right. It was probably that. But why was he so worried about what was coming? He just had a feeling that things weren't going to go well. That things were going to go horribly.

Was he just worried that Yami would fall into Yugi's arms and forget all about him? Or pretend to still care out of sympathy, but be all Yugi's as he had been before?

He shook his head. He'd been over this. Yami had chosen to love him. Had decided to live to be with him. No one… he smiled as he remembered last night. Yami had granted his every wish as soon as he had thought of them. His soul had been smothered in caring.

It hadn't been just a one-night stand. That kind of passion, devotion… it was real. It couldn't just blow away with the dawn.

Right? It wasn't as if he'd had any experience with this. All he could do was hope. And trust.

He jerked his head up as the bell rang. The teacher left and they waited for the next one to come in. Only one more period to go until recess. Until he would find out, one way or another, what his destiny was.

VAVAVAVAVAV

Kaiba waited by the classroom door for Yugi. He was talking to his friends. A moment later he headed over, leaving them behind. So he'd wanted a private conversation? Probably a good idea. Yugi came up to him and opened his mouth to speak, but Kaiba shushed him and motioned for him to follow.

They soon arrived behind the library and Kaiba turned. "Yu…"

"Give it back." Yugi had his fists clenched, but his voice was level. He was death-glaring Kaiba. "Give me back the puzzle. It's mine, and you had no right to take it from me!"

Kaiba bent down and opened his briefcase. Yami appeared. He turned around. "Yugi…"

Yugi stared. His eyes softened involuntarily. "You… you've got your own body? How?"

"I could do it all along, I just didn't have any reason to. Yugi…" Yami knelt and bowed his head. "I don't have the right to ask for it, but please! I wouldn't have done it if there was any other choice!" He was almost crying. "I couldn't let him hurt you! I couldn't let your Grandfather and so many others remain captive! If I had left him alive, he would have come after you. Please! Please forgive me. Please?"

Yami kept still, not daring to look at Yugi.

Kaiba, however, hadn't taken his eyes off him. Yugi's resolve seemed to leave his eyes temporarily at Yami's plea, but it soon returned. He stood silent.

Kaiba broke the silence. "Yugi, the puzzle's yours, but I'm not going to let you kill Yami. I'll only give it back to you when you forgive him. He saved me, he saved all of us. What he did… it was harsh, but it was the right thing to do. That bastard…" Kaiba clenched his fists. "That bastard Pegasus got what was coming to him. It was justice."

Yugi seemed to come to a decision. "Yes."

"Yes what?" Kaiba asked. Yami still hadn't moved.

"Yes. Give me back the puzzle."

Yami's head lifted up… and fell back down. "Don't, Kaiba."

"Yami!?" Yugi was shocked and angry.

"Don't, Kaiba. He has not forgiven me. He intends to break it."

"You bastard!" Yugi lunged for the puzzle, but Kaiba batted him away and closed his briefcase.

Yugi turned to Yami. "You liar! You said you'd let me kill you for what you did! I knew you manipulated Kaiba to save yourself! What did you do to him!? What!?"

"He didn't do anything. I just couldn't let you kill him." Kaiba looked at Yami, who had curled up more and seemed to be trying to disappear. 'How can Yugi do this to him?'

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I promised Kaiba I wouldn't let you kill me! I'm sorry!" Yami was crying now, a picture of misery.

But it wasn't melting Yugi's heart. "I swear, if you hurt him… I'll get you! I won't let you hurt anyone else! I'll kill you if it's the last thing I do!" And he ran at Yami.

Kaiba got in his way, and held him away from him as Yugi's arms flailed uselessly. "Why are you stopping me?! He's a monster! A demon or something! He shouldn't exist!"

Kaiba wondered why no one had been attracted by all the noise. A prosaic thought to have, in the midst of such a scene. 'Probably magic.'

He looked down at Yugi. "I won't let you hurt him. He doesn't deserve it. Go away, and don't bug me until you grow a brain, pipsqueak."

"Kaiba…" Yami whispered sadly.

"Well, he is." Kaiba pushed Yugi roughly away. "Get out of my sight."

Yugi glared at Yami again and left.

Kaiba went over to Yami and gathered him in his arms. "Are you alright? That must have been rough."

"I… I've betrayed him. But… I couldn't break my promise to you." Yami kept crying softly.

"Shhh, shhh." Kaiba rubbed his back, and after a while Yami relaxed a little. "Kaiba…"

Kaiba stiffened. "Why… why don't you call me Seto?"

"Huh?"

"Normally, people who… have done what we've done don't use last names."

"Oh. The courtesy rules here… I usually just call people what Yugi does, so I didn't think about it… I'm sorry, Seto."

"It's alright. I was worried that…" He held Yami tighter. "Stupid of me, I know."

"I denied my other half what he desired for you. I love you, Seto. You shouldn't doubt. I will love you forever." Yami leaned up, and Kaiba bent down to kiss him.

Neither of them heard the gasp, they were so wrapped up in each other.

Yugi ran from his vantage point behind the wall. He'd heard it all, and had peaked from behind the wall when he heard the silence. How could… 'He said he loved me! He said… how could he!? And now he's lying to Kaiba too… I have to stop him!' He ran, and cried, back to his friends.

They were waiting in the now deserted classroom. Tea held out her arms, seeing his distress, and he ran to her and wailed.

"What's…"

"Are you alright, Yug'?"

"Are you okay, man?"

Questions, questions. But he couldn't deal with them right now. Saying what he'd seen and heard aloud might somehow make it real.

'Why do I feel so betrayed? I know he was just trying to make me like him, or give in to his lusts… He's a murderer! If he really cared about me, he wouldn't have taken over my body! But… I came so close. So close to giving in. Seeing his body… I wanted him so much. I wanted him to take me in his arms and kiss me again. I wanted… No! He was controlling me! I don't feel that way about a murderer, I don't!'

He wailed and tried to convince himself he wasn't horribly alone while his friends exchanged glances over his head.

Finally he calmed down. He took deep breaths, and moved away from Tea.

"Guys…"

"Yes, Yugi?" Tea answered.

"Will you help me?"

"With what?" Joey asked.

"Tonight. I want to break into Kaiba's house and steal back my puzzle so I can break it. If you won't help me, I'll do it alone." He looked at them, his eyes full of fire.

They looked at each other. Finally Tristan looped his arm around Yugi's shoulder and said, "Alright buddy. We'll help. Right, guys?"

Everyone nodded.

Tea interjected, "But wouldn't Kaiba Corp. be a better place? My dad works there and he says Kaiba is always there really late. And he's got the puzzle with him, right?"

Yugi nodded. "Tell your parents you're sleeping over at my house. Meet me there at eight. Grandpa goes to bed early. We'll leave then. Alright?"

Everyone looked each other doubtfully, but… this was their friend. And if the spirit really was that dangerous… they'd seen him kill Pegasus like that. They couldn't just stand by. Yugi forgave everyone. If even he wouldn't forgive this Yami person…

"Alright."

VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAV

Pharaoh Atemu's Angel: Thanks for reviews at both ff  and mediaminer!

Angelbaby: Sorry, S/YY next lemon. Trio at end.

Obsessed: Thanks!

Y-n-Y: And this won't help! And here is more!

SilverWing147: The pharaoh rules. And thanks!

Kawaii Chibi Yami: Fluff rocks. And here is update!

Hihana: This scene is why not right away.

Kathleen/heyy13: Uh… sorry. One might consider this a cliffy. Again, sorry! You won't have to wait more than a week though! And I love cookies!

LadySaturnGirl: Word.

Sasameyuki: Here you go.

Koishii No Tenshi2: See above. Oh! Sorry you got kicked off! You still have me on author alert in your original account. So one less person has me on alert. I feel bad now. Oh well, 31 isn't too bad.


	10. Game Start

Disclaimer: If I owned Yu-gi-oh… I'd do a lot of stuff. But I don't.

VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAV

Kaiba rolled up the dark window inside the limousine so the driver couldn't look back and got the puzzle out of his briefcase. He stroked it. ---Come on, come out. I can't help you feel better if you stay in there and don't talk to me… Let me help! Please?---

An instant later Yami's weight was on his lap and Yami's arms were wrapped around his neck, and his tears were soaking into his school jacket. --I shouldn't have expected any better. I used him against his wishes to kill. And he knows it. His pure heart… you have known evil, Kaiba. You know what must be done to oppose it. He… to him, what I have done is inexcusable. I have killed, Kaiba.--

---Shhh, shhh.--- Kaiba held the quietly sobbing Yami in his arms. He had an idea. ---Quiet for a second.--- He pushed the intercom. "Driver? Could you stop by Mokuba's school, please? Thank you."

--What?--

---I'll take both of you to work with me. You can play with him, and I can keep an eye on you both.--- 'And maybe Mokuba can cheer you up.'

--If you wish. I… I just want to sleep.--

---Oh no you don't. You need to cheer up. Yugi… if he was a complete idiot you wouldn't think so highly of him. And he's part of you, right? And you're a genius, like me. So he'll figure out eventually that you had a reason. He'll want you back, I promise.---

Kaiba kept holding Yami as they arrived at Mokuba's school. Kaiba called to cancel Mokuba's usual pickup, and they waited for his school to get out. Finally the bell rang and Kaiba told Yami to get back in the puzzle so the driver wouldn't see him when he opened the door. Kaiba got out and waited for Mokuba.

--Are you sure he's going to see you? He's not expecting you to pick him up…--

---The limo is where his pickup usually is. He'll come over here…oof!---

Kaiba had lost track of what was going on around him while talking to Yami, and the short Mokuba had managed to use the crowd to fleeing students as cover. He laughed as he stepped back from Kaiba after jumping at him and hugging him. "Hello, big brother! Why are you here?"

"I'm taking you to work with me. Now come on."

"Awww! I was hoping maybe you would ditch work and take me to an amusement park." Mokuba made watery eyes.

Kaiba raised an eyebrow. "Me, ditch work?"

Mokuba imitated the patented Kaiba why-is-this-idiot-wasting-my-time glare. "You, come pick me up?"

Kaiba opened his mouth and shut it a moment later. "Point." He motioned to the car. Mokuba got in and Kaiba followed.

They sat across from each other and once the engine started up, Mokuba asked quietly, "So? How did it go?"

Kaiba bit his lip and looked out the tinted window.

Mokuba sighed. "That bad, huh? How's Yami taking it?"

"Ask him yourself." ---Yami? Come out.---

Yami appeared next to Kaiba, leaning on him. "I am… fine, Mokuba. Thank you for your concern." He sighed, not meeting Mokuba's eyes. Kaiba grabbed his hand and squeezed it.

"Nuh-uh." Mokuba shook his head. "You look really bad. What happened?"

"It's private, Mokuba." Kaiba looked at Yami, whose eyes were misting over. He didn't need to hear a blow-by-blow of how his other love had pretended he wanted him back to destroy him. 'How could Yugi do that? After everything Yami did for him? To offer him the thing he wants most…' It still haunted him. How Yami's bowed head had looked up… he could imagine the hope that had been in his eyes. Then how it had immediately fell back down, as though despair had robbed Yami of even the strength to hold it up.

"Oh." Mokuba said, understanding in his eyes. He went over to Yami's other side and patted him on the shoulder. "It'll be okay."

"No." Yami buried his head against Kaiba's neck. "It won't ever be okay."

"You're wrong. Seto's going to help you and Seto can do anything. So everything will be great. Right, big brother?" Mokuba looked at Seto.

Seto sighed. He'd loved the way his brother hero-worshipped him at the orphanage. He'd almost lost that when Gozaburo had hardened his heart. Now he had it back, and it made him feel horrible. He didn't deserve it. He'd failed to save Mokuba from Pegasus. He'd been cruel to him, abandoned him, corrupted him…

--Shhh. It's alright, Seto.-- Yami's hand rested on his other shoulder. –You do indeed deserve his love. He has seen you when you were consumed by your darkness. He knows what you have done. And he has chosen to still love you, still look up to you. Because he knows what you did when you were free, and that is far more important to him than what you did when you were not.--

---But he does not know the whole truth of how low I have sunk.--- Kaiba sighed, lost in his dark memories, forgetting Mokuba was in the car. His free hand drifted up to hold Yami to him. Pretending that Mokuba had betrayed him, hitting him, to fool Gozaburo. Ruining the other holders of the blue-eyes cards to get them. Gozaburo using his Virtual World to aid in war…

--He knows of Death-T. And of the deaths. You do not hide things from him as well as you think, Seto. And do you truly think that little of him, that his love could be broken that easily?--

---_Easily_!? I've done horrible things, Yami!--- Seto rested his head against Yami's shoulder and pressed him against him hard, like a lifeline. Tears were threatening to flow.

--And so have I. Yet you still hope to regain Yugi's love for me. And I still love you, even after seeing your mind. And you love me. He is your brother, Seto.—Yami began to rock Seto. "Shhh, shhh…" –He will always love you. See?--

Seto felt another weight press against his free side, and small arms encircle him. "Seto… are you okay? Please be okay…" There was so much worry and caring in Mokuba's voice.

Seto shifted his hand to encircle him. "It's alright, Mokuba. I'll be fine."

"You aren't just saying that?" Mokuba's voice was small.

"No." Seto straightened up and smiled down at the boy. At both of them. "I think I actually will be fine." He felt Yami's lips move against his neck as he smiled. A second later, Yami disappeared.

A voice came over the intercom. "Mr. Kaiba? We're here."

Kaiba got out of the car and went up to his office, Mokuba following. Employees flinched at the grin on his face, but Mokuba was happy. 'And it serves the idiots right to be scared. Guilty consciences, anyone? Helping the Big-5 overthrow the guy who pays you? You _better_ run.'

He shut the door, and as he contacted him to ask, Yami reappeared. –Anything I can help you with?—

"Aloud, please. Mokuba can't hear us when we use the link, and it's rude to talk behind people's backs."

"Alright. Well? Is there anything?"

"Yes, actually. Since you can read so fast, go through those papers and pass me anything I need to look at or sign."

Yami had sorted through the several inch thick stack in the time it took Kaiba to get his laptop booted up and logged into the system. Not like that was_ that _short a time. The password system was complex, since as system manager he could do pretty much anything he liked to Kaiba-Corp's computers. It wouldn't do for some hacker to break in. Still…

"How can you read so fast?"

Yami shrugged. "I don't know. I just can."

"Well, if you were pharaoh, you might have had paperwork. That might explain it." Kaiba shrugged and turned back to his computer.

"Pharaoh?" Mokuba broke in.

"I may have been one. I don't actually know anything before Yugi solved the puzzle, but I seem to have a lot of skills… and none of them with anything modern."

"Cool!" Mokuba watched Yami get up from where he was stretched out on the floor. "Whatcha doing?"

"Protective spells." Yami said distractedly, examining the doors and windows, opening the doors to the side rooms and exploring. "I already did the mansion, while I was there alone yesterday…"

"Magic? Cool!" Mokuba trotted along behind. Seto listened with half an ear, curious. "Can you teach me? Can you teach me to fly?"

"Yes, but my magic is Shadow Magic, which is rather dangerous… I'd need a lot of time to show you how to handle the power safely before you could do anything. And I'd need to supervise your first few spells _very _closely. There's a fatal level of risk involved. You could quite easily die. I doubt your brother would approve." After giving everything a once-over, Yami returned to the door they had come in by and began to trace signs over it while muttering. Gold and grey light swirled where his hands passed.

Seto watched, fascinated. It was so pretty, and… familiar? Next was an upside-down V with a small circle over it… How did he know that?

Yami tensed, then finished up very quickly. –Someone's coming.—He said and disappeared. Just then the door flung open and in marched the Big-5.

Seto's eyes narrowed. 'Not knocking or letting my secretary ask if I wanted them to come in? Why are they so confident?' "Ah, gentlemen. I see you're back from your 'vacations.' How were they?" He said, standing up.

"Mr. Kaiba… you know we weren't on vacations. We were only saying we were so we could avoid working with Mr. Pegasus to take over this company. With yourself and your brother held captive, we had no choice but to appear to go along with his demands. We're so glad you're safe!"

"Yes, Mr. Kaiba! We're so sorry, Mokuba, if we'd known Pegasus intended to snatch you we would have beefed up security. We were so surprised when that goon came into the room with you! We had to play along or else you might have been injured."

"Oh, please!" Mokuba burst out before Kaiba's raised hand stopped him.

"And I'm sure you gentlemen have evidence to back up your claims?"

"We've kept up all your projects, especially the Virtual World! Do you wish to examine it?" The personnel manager said with a smile.

"Alright. Let's go." Kaiba walked out the door and everyone followed him.

Mokuba came up to him and held his hand. "Big brother… are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Trust me, Mokuba." Kaiba whispered back. No way these goons would be able to beat him. He'd stick his head into the lion's mouth and find out what their plans were, then kick their asses right out the door. He could feel Yami laughing in his mind.

--Confident, aren't we?--

Kaiba smiled. Yami seemed alive, like he had been when they had dueled. Challenge seemed to do that to him. He thrived on it. ---Yes, I am. If you ask nicely, I'll let you help even. Well?---

A mental smirk. If Yami had fangs, they'd be showing. --Oh, yesss. This should be fun. Fools.— A chilling laugh. If Kaiba didn't know Yami was on his side… --I love games, don't you? The element of risk… remember I said even weaklings were worth playing?--

---I duel, of course I love games. The thrill of the hunt…--- He could smile too. Too bad the fools were behind. He'd love to see the looks on their faces at the look on his face. But it'd be too over the top to burst out in maniacal laughter. 'Darn. Oh well. I'll get to see the looks on their faces when they lose to a kid. That ought to be almost as good. Ah. We're here.'

VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAV

Can you spot where I got the sign from? And no, this isn't going to be a crossover. I might do one eventually, though. And I'm going to Catalina for a week, so I might be late with the next update. Sorry!

Queen of Fire and Chaos: I am going to have a little more of him in this story… if you like him, look at the second chapter of Light in the Darkness, and all of Deny thy Father. They're about him.

Hihana: It's actually going to be easy. You'll see why.

Innocent: No, I love Yugi, but the fact that he's an innocent means he sees things in black and white. Killing is Wrong, therefore Yami is Evil. And Kaiba finally getting a good relationship does not mean he has suddenly developed people skills. I am limiting my ooc-ness to that reasonable from the events.

LadySaturnGirl: At Fort Knox, you don't have to worry about being eaten by dragons.

SilverWing147: Comeuppance?

Sasameyuki: Word.

Silvershadowfire: Hi!

Lucidscreamer: Thanks!

Kawaii Chibi Yami: Innocent, not weak.

Amber Eyes: It's kinda part of the story… I hate those fics too. Don't worry, it'll be over soon.

Koishii No Tenshi1: Poor thing!

Y-n-Y: o.O

Chibi Pharaoh Yami: He won't!

Pharaoh Atemu's Angel: Here you go!


	11. Playing Around

Disclaimer: I loved the "Anyone else!" line (in reference to who Mokuba should have gone to for help instead of Yugi), but I still don't own Yu-gi-oh.

Sorry! I should have updated this last weekend, I really meant too, but it was just too crowded in the computer lab for me to concentrate! I have my wonderful laptop now though, so I should be updating regularly again. Sorry about all this, people!

VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAV

The Big Five had not followed them into the project room. As they had suggested that Seto test out the project, he proceeded to do just that, getting in the capsule and having Mokuba turn it on. It was odd.

The Five had been walking behind him all the way there, but he hadn't felt an instant of fear. Ever since Gozaburo, he'd had an irrational fear of adult men with power. Dealing with the Five, with other businessmen made his skin crawl. He had nightmares of his associates pulling out whips and proceeding to punish him for daring to act like he was their equal, as Gozaburo had so many times.

He'd refused to give into his fear, meeting face-to-face even when he could have gotten away with videoconferencing, but after meetings, when he'd managed to retreat to his office, he'd curled up in fetal position in his chair and done breathing exercises until he was back under control.

The psychiatrist he'd gotten under his control had managed to help him get his hands on helpful drugs, and the suggested imagery of beating up the threat had been helpful as well. The feeling of satisfaction at the thought of crushing the bastard's windpipe helped him maintain his trademark smirk during the inevitable meetings. And he could take advantage of his power and responsibility to press the button on the cell phone he'd designed to make it pretend to ring during meetings so he could step outside to 'take the call' when he couldn't take it any more.

No one knew. Not even Mokuba. And if anyone did find out, he'd kill them.

Except Yami.

Yami wasn't afraid. He'd killed Pegasus in an instant, and he could do the same to any other who threatened him. And as long as he loved Seto, he would do the same for him.

So as Seto had walked down the hall, Yami's laughing presence in his mind, he hadn't feared the Five at all. Even though they were trying to fulfill his nightmare and punish him, even though he knew they'd set up a situation where they were sure they held all the cards, Seto had Yami.

Seto was safe.

He'd never felt safe as long as he could remember. Safety was something for Mokuba, brought with sweat and held-back tears and blood. So much blood.

When he was young, he'd had to look after Mokuba. His father cared, he understood that in an academic sense, but the man had failed.

He'd been too busy mourning his wife to look properly after the rest of his family. He'd practically ignored Mokuba, whose birth had cost him the wife he'd loved. He'd tried to not hurt the boy, to act like he cared, but it had been Seto who had been the father.

And then the man had abandoned them for real, dying of his grief.

And their relatives took their money and abandoned them as well. In the orphanage, he'd had to protect the young, weak Mokuba against bullies. He'd usually won, but one time a group had ganged up on him and... but he'd hunted them down afterwards, one by one, and made them far too scared to _ever_ try again. The thought still made him smile.

He'd been told it was hard to find someone willing to adopt two kids, so he'd have to make them want him enough that they'd take Mokuba too. So he'd studied and gotten the reputation of a genius, but they still just wanted him.

And then Gozaburo had come.

He'd been so excited that his idol was visiting the orphanage! He'd devoured the man's chess books, read to Mokuba out of them. And so he'd made the gamble. But he knew, on some level, that he couldn't lose. That his heart was in the game.

If he'd lost... everyone would have known, and lost their fear of him. A group would have gotten together, and... the possibility had only been an academic one, however.

He'd beaten the world champion chess Grandmaster.

He'd even managed to convince himself the hate in the man's eyes had just been a trick of the light.

He felt Yami wrap comfort around his mind as the game began. Yami hadn't spied, but he'd felt Seto's sadness.

Hmmm. They'd improved the loading sequence at least.

As he landed in forest the game began.

He sent his plan to Yami and received his agreement. Seto was going to spring the trap. If he couldn't handle it himself, Yami would rescue him.

Rescue.

Before, the word would have been anathema. He rescued himself. There was no one else who would do it for him. And to let someone have that power over him, to show weakness...

But Yami wouldn't hurt him. He was safe.

Didn't you normally need more than one exposure to something to get addicted to it?

Unless it's something _really_ addictive.

As he walked down the path in his realm, he started humming to himself. Just for the hell of it.

VAVAVAVAVAV

Yami began to turn this Virtual World into a Shadow Game. Given that it already incorporated Duel Monsters, and had been created by one with latent magic, it was practically one already.

He smiled. In creating a true game, one that incorporated his heart, Seto had created for himself a powerful ally in this.

A game was, by its nature, meant to be fair. With the power he gave it, the game shaped itself to undo the cheating interference of the Five.

It also shaped itself to be difficult, however. A game wanted, by its nature, to challenge. But in a fair fight, he would always win.

Especially in a Shadow Game, against such slime.

And now the first step took place.

VAVAVAVAVAV

Mokuba watched on the screen. He knew Yami would try to help, but... the Big Five must have rigged the game, otherwise they'd know there was not way Mokuba's Nii-sama would lose. Seto was the best!

Still... Seto had won the last battle, but...

Mokuba leaned forward in shock. Seto! He was being captured!

"Ah. Right on schedule."

Mokuba whirled around and stared at Yami. "What do you mean?! Why did you just let him get captured?!"

"Because that's how the game's supposed to work."

"Huh?"

Yami gestured at the screen. "The stuff Seto just did was basically the tutorial sequence. The plot of the game is that the main hero's friend is captured. That part is the tutorial. Then the main hero sets out to rescue him, gathering a party along the way. Once he breaks the captive free, they then proceed to fight their way out of where he was being held, and defeat the priesthood that captured him in the first place."

"Oh." Mokuba said. "So you had to let it happen?"

"Indeed." Yami looked at him questioningly. "Do you want to be a party member?"

"Yeah!" Mokuba said excitedly. Then he looked crestfallen. "But I don't have a deck."

"Don't worry; I'll buy one for you. I already loaded the one I constructed from Seto's cards." Yami smiled. It was nice how loyal Mokuba was to Seto. It was fair, to let Mokuba help rescue Seto, in partial repayment for how often Seto had rescued him.

"But, how do I get into the virtual world?" Mokuba asked.

Yami cocked his head, listening. "Seto says there are more pods at Kaiba Land."

There was a banging at the door. "What's going on?" Mokuba asked.

Yami chuckled. "The Five Fools sent some flunkies to capture you now that they think Seto's out of the picture. I'm keeping them out. You might want to get out that way, though." He nodded towards an air vent. "Seto says you know your way around in there."

Mokuba grinned. "Seto's encouraging me to play in the vents? Sweet!" He started to climb up. Once he got in he waved back to Yami.

Yami waved and smiled as Mokuba disappeared into the vent and then he disappeared into the game. He'd better get started winning Gold Cards to get Mokuba a good deck. Now what to buy...

VAVAVAVAVAV

As Yugi and his friends approached the Kaiba Corp Building, they saw Mokuba running toward them. When he saw them, he screeched to a halt.

"Yugi." He said, his fisted hands resting on his hips.

"Hi, Mokuba." Tea said. "Where are you going?"

"Hi, Tea." Mokuba became marginally less hostile. Tea was decent. At Death-T, she'd been the only one of Yugi's friends to not just assume that Seto had done all that because he was psycho. Not that he'd been exactly sane at that point, before Yami had helped him, but he had reasons for why he was that way! "Uh... I'm just going to Kaiba Land to check some stuff out. I am a Vice-President, you know!"

Yugi stepped forward. "Where's Seto? He's letting you wander around alone?"

Mokuba winced. Yes, Seto was acting a little paranoid now, since Mokuba had been kidnapped. He'd doubled Mokuba's security at school. But what was Yugi insinuating, that Mokuba wasn't capable of looking after himself? He'd escaped from Pegasus on his own, after all. "He's my big brother, not my bodyguard. And he's really busy 'cause of being gone so long. And so am I. See you!" He started running again, before they could delay him anymore.

Behind him, Yugi and his friends looked at each other, and began to follow him.

VAVAVAVAVAV

Seto woke up and looked around. Yup. The sacrifice hall. The Five Fools, Yami's name for them was good, hadn't changed the design. He wondered if... ah. There he was.

"So. You're awake, Seto Kaiba." The Witty Phantom was standing there, reciting his lines with a bored look on his face.

"I know, I know, you're going to sacrifice me to the Mystic Dragon and I have no hope of escape."

"Oh good. I don't have to say it. When you get out of here, could you please rewrite my lines? I'm supposed to sound smart and clever, not stupid. That's what Witty means." The Phantom made puppy dog eyes, although the effect was rather spoiled by the hidden smirk.

"Um... did the Five Fools fuck with your AI?" Seto was confused. He hadn't designed the Phantom to have a personality, besides taunting jailor.

"No. I'm a Duel Monster, and this is a Shadow Game, so..." The Phantom trailed off, looking for a way to explain it. "Well, in magic, the name is the thing, right? So if a collection of syllables can be a person, how much more easily can a 3-d portrait of a guy? So, I am the Witty Phantom. Nice to meet you." He took off his hat and bowed gracefully.

"This is a Shadow Game?"

"Exactly. And you've got Him on your side, so you'll be out of here in no time." The Phantom sighed. "Sorry I can't untie you, otherwise we could play Senet or something. Want to do a riddle contest?"

"Sounds good. Him?"

"Him. The Nameless Pharaoh. The best Shadow Mage of all time. What, you don't know? Tsk tsk." The Phantom shook his head. "You've been around him all this time, and you didn't recognize your own half-cousin?"

Seto blinked. "Huh?"

"You're the reincarnation of a High Priest of Set. Your fathers were half-brothers, according to the Dark Magician. I used to work for you. Not that I knew about all of this then, of course. You summoned me to kick ass, not to gossip."

Seto thought fast.

It seemed... right. To be connected to Yami. But cousins was a little... but only half-cousins, and the Egyptians didn't care about that sort of thing, right? So... had Yami loved him then?

He asked Yami.

--?—

He sent what he had heard. Yami didn't know, he didn't have any memories.

"Do you know anything else?" He asked the Phantom excitedly.

The Phantom sighed. "Not much... he ruled, he kicked ass, then there were these battles against some... things that weren't Duel Monsters and he sacrificed himself and his name to stop them. You lose your name, that's supposed to be it, so everyone was surprised when he showed up again... but that's really all. Sorry."

"It's alright." Yami was happy to have found out that much.

"So. Riddles? Who goes first?"

VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAV

Amarin Rose: Um... I'm going to stop this story pretty soon after the Legendary Heroes Arc ends. Sorry. I might do a flash-forward chapter though. But I'm going to have Yami helping Seto during that in DYDOM? Although that one's going to be Y/Y, Seto/Seth.

Ash: Sorry!!!!!!

Sasameyuki: Yes.

Zoe: Yes!

Hikari Tsuki Chi: Indeed.

Chibichiri: Ha ha ha! I am immune to event the strongest of puppy dog eyes, those of Yugi, who has been pleading to me to let him and Yami make up and make that dream a reality.

Nenya85: You are the master of YY/S. I am very complimented that you enjoy this.

Hihana: Wait and see! But no, they won't need saving.

Y-n-Y: :evil smirk:

LadySaturnGirl: Sorry!

Innocent: Exactly.

Silverwing147: Wait and see!

Kawaii Chibi Yami: 'Cause Yami has major protective instincts.

Dogmatrix: Yup, and thanks.

Silvershadowfire: Yes, he is! And I am so original! No one guessed what I was going to do!

Pharaoh Atemu's Angel: Sorry!


	12. Login

Disclaimer: If I owned Yu-gi-oh, Mokuba would get to kick ass.

Sorry, sorry, sorry! I promised myself I would have this out on Monday! Sorry!

And yes, I could easily find out the Five Fools' names, but... why dignify them that way?

VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAV

Yami sighed, beating another scenario. Seto was rather happy with him testing out the game, although he had pointed out that a reasonable challenge for Yami would take out any other duelist in two seconds flat.

Seto was amusing himself with back-seat dueling. The riddle contest with the Phantom had been a complete failure, since neither knew the other culture's methods of forming and solving riddles.

Seto was also directing him to the locations of secret quests and items, although he had not given away the answers. Since experimentation with a card costing life points to use had confirmed that the Five Fools had made it so life points would not regenerate at all, instead of slowly over time, Kaiba had been insistent on gathering healing cards since Yami had argued for Mokuba's participation. And the game called for at least four members in the rescue party. Since he had felt a familiar presence in the game, he knew where to find the third, but a fourth... the game was insistent.

Seto had confirmed Yami's suspicion about Mokuba's dueling strength. Attacking a monster with a weaker one without setting any magic or trap cards to aid was certainly not the strategy of one who had watched his brother win championship after championship.

The threat to his brother's company had caused Mokuba to be unable to think.

--Rather like Joey's duel against you. You make him so angry...--

---You mean that isn't the mutt's normal dueling strategy, or lack thereof?...Sorry.---

A smile and a sigh. –He envies you. You have a sibling by your side, and a future. He sees himself as having been denied both, though he refuses to give up. Your efforts to throw away what it cost you so much to win... he wanted to knock some sense into you.—

---?---

--He has a sister he has not seen in years. He does not speak of his father. The man retained custody of him so he could have a slave. He drove him into gangs by demanding money to stave off beatings. He is actually quite a skilled fighter.—

---I couldn't tell that when I fought him.---

--He was attempting to fight you without injuring you. All his techniques are designed to incapacitate his opponent. You couldn't duel to win Mokuba with your eyes gouged out. He was more focused on holding himself back then defeating you. And so he lost. And he has no money, no grades since school is the only safe place for him to sleep, and a police record. Everyone views him as worthless. He has no chance of going to college or of getting a good job. His mother has been trying as hard as she can to cut him off from contact with his sister, after learning of his gang activities.—

---I... I didn't know.---

--He tries very hard to hide it. The three million from the tournament... it was his chance to help his sister and acquire a nest egg. Since I doubt the tournament continued after what I did...--

---I let him have the money.---

Yami paused, almost allowing the Dark Magician to be trampled by a hostile Tri-Horn Dragon. –...What?—

---He told me about his sister, and... Yugi had given him the check I gave him when I took the puzzle. So I said he could keep it.---

He felt a ghost of a kiss brush against his cheek, and a smile on Yami's face. –Thank you, love. See? You're kinder than you think.—

Seto sent a mental shrug. ---Or I just have a soft spot for younger siblings.---

Yami chuckled as the forest fairies turned into cards in his hand. –Believe what you wish.—

VAVAVAVAVAV

Mokuba locked the prototype room behind him as he entered. Why were the computers already booted up? Had Yami done it? He typed onto the screen as it came up.

**Yami? I'm here. What should I do?**

"Just get in a pod, I'll do the rest." Mokuba whirled around to see an image of Yami on a nearby screen. "I've already constructed you a deck, and the pod will place you in the next city. You'll be safe there until I arrive. Could you help me out by asking around about a way to cross the desert? Some specific card is needed to do it, and I haven't been able to figure out which one. And asking Seto would be cheating."

"Will do!" Mokuba agreed happily. An actual mission! He wasn't just going to be a tag-along! This was going to be great! Nii-sama's games always were!

"Meet at the town center in thirty minutes?" Yami smiled.

"Sure, I'll have solved it by then." Mokuba was almost as good at video games as Seto. He got more practice, though.

He was still worried, but somehow he knew that Seto was safe. For once in his life, people were fighting to protect him instead of the other way around. This should be encouraged.

Mokuba wondered if he could get Nii-sama to propose to Yami.

VAVAVAVAVAV

After arriving in the town, Mokuba was drawing a blank. All everyone was talking about was the new Dueling Champion in the Town Coliseum. In games, stuff people were talking about was usually missions. Probably Yami would win money for fighting the champion. But that didn't tell him how to cross the desert. And someone had told him about how a prisoner had been taken across. So Seto was on the other side.

Mokuba decided to be like his Nii-sama. When Seto ran into a trap, he sprung it. If he could figure out what the thing stopping people from crossing the desert was, he could deduce what kind of card was necessary.

So, he decided to set out. He went to the edge of town, and began to walk into the desert.

VAVAVAVAVAV

Mokuba sat up and brushed himself off. That could have gone better. He had sand all over from the sandstorm he had run into. Something that could stop wind was needed, maybe?

He was not going to tell Yami about this. With the mind-link thingy, big brother would find out, and man would he be pissed. He had no problem with putting himself in danger, but if he found out Mokuba had gotten himself tossed around by a tornado, not to mention wandering into hostile territory without a deck... "Getting kidnapped and re-kidnapped...He's going to lock me in my room until I'm forty if anything else happens to me."

"Oh, certainly he won't be that extreme."

"Oh yes he would." Mokuba turned around. There was an old man there, trying not to laugh. "And how would you know?"

"He did program me." The man inclined his head. "I would shake hands, but I'm not programmed to move my arms. You can't pass the desert without a Niwatori card."

Mokuba frowned. "Why a Niwatori card?"

"Consider me to have shrugged. _I _didn't program the thing." The man sighed. "Stern Mystic at your service. And no, I don't know how to get a Niwatori card. But there'll probably be a clue around here somewhere."

"Thank you!"

The Elf smiled. "Just doing my job, youngling."

Mokuba dashed off. The Elf smiled as the scene disappeared. "Kids."

VAVAVAVAVAV

"How do you know he went this way, Joey?" Tea asked curiously.

Joey pointed down at where the dust was disturbed. "No one's been here in ages. I wonder why? Until just recently, anyways."

"How do you know all this, Joey?" Yugi asked, temporarily jerked out of his own little world.

"Lots of time spent in abandoned warehouses. Wait a minute." Joey twisted the knob around a little, then gave up. "Yup. This door's locked."

"And I can hear machinery, but no one's talking." Tristan added. "Why did we follow Mokuba again?"

"There was something wrong... he was hiding something." Tea replied. "What are you doing to the door, Joey..."

At that moment, Joey straightened up and opened the door. Everyone looked at him, surprised. "What?" He looked around and held up a lock pick set. "Legacy of a misspent youth. Well? Come on in." He held the door open for them.

Inside the room was a wall of computers, and... pods? There were three, and Mokuba was in one?!

"Guys? Come over and look at this." Tristan called, sounding worried.

There was a line of text on one of the screens. **Yami? I'm here. What should I do?**

"Yami had Mokuba put into that pod?!" Yugi was worried. Where was Seto? Had Yami blackmailed Mokuba? He looked around, but didn't see the Puzzle.

"What do we do, guys?" Tea asked, biting her lip. "If Mokuba's inside the Virtual World..."

"We'll just have to go in and get him out." Joey was busy tapping away at one of the computer screens. "It's a Duel Monsters based game, so that means Yug' and me." He frowned. "There are currently four players in the game. Kaiba's one of them. So's Mokuba. One's ID is Tester and the other's ID is blank."

"Yami." Yugi breathed. "No way he'd let a game go on without getting involved."

"All of them except Kaiba're in about the same place. And that's near the spot where you go in." Joey got up out of the chair. "So...got your deck, Yug'?"

Yugi nodded. He knew he would need it to fight Yami. He had to beat him. But... Yugi couldn't do... what Yami did to people who lost. How did he know Yami would keep whatever promises he made? He had said he would not fight the Puzzle being taken apart...

Joey looked at Yugi as they got in the capsules. He didn't really know what to do. Yugi was so... the innocent trusting little kid was trying so hard to be gone... Yami had killed Pegasus, but what Kaiba had said... they all had been screwed. Yugi didn't really seem in his right mind.

Well, if Yami was doing something bad in the game, then he'd know. But if it was just a game... maybe he was helping test it? It would make sense: Yami was kick-ass.

Joey didn't know if he could beat him, but he had to try. It was like at Duelist Kingdom. Yugi couldn't duel like this. Not that Yugi was a bad duelist, he was great even without Yami, but... Joey would have to do most of the fighting.

Ever since he could remember, everyone but Yugi and his friends had told him his brain was worthless. Well, he'd just have to prove them wrong. Again. And again.

VAVAVAVAVAV

"So, you still have no idea what's going on in that room?"

"Sorry, sir." Kemo cowered. "The... we shorted the lock, then shot it up and the door still won't open. We can't hear anything inside over the hum of the computers."

"Mokuba has escaped. We have footage of him leaving the building. What do you have to say for yourselves?!" Fists struck the table.

"Calm down." The one with the glasses said. "We know he won't abandon his beloved brother. Just like when the brat took over the company. Even with what he did...he'll try to get "Seto-sama" out of the game. He'll head for the other Virtual Pods."

"Kemo, get your men over to Kaiba Land!"

As the men left the room, the one technician that had been willing to betray Kaiba, who they had called in when the program began acting... odd, reported.

"Sirs... we have a problem."

"What?!"

"Calm down." He turned to the programmer. "What is it?"

"Just after Kaiba entered the game, so did another player. I can't detect where he's coming from. The program locked me out soon after. I can't change it anymore, and it seems to be changing on its own."

"So, we've got some mysterious hacker?"

"Cracker."

"What?"

The nervous programmer licked his lips. "Someone who breaks into systems is actually called a Cracker, sirs."

"Can't you do anything!?"

"No. The program is ignoring all the override codes, you made me cut them all out so Kaiba-san couldn't use them."

The Big Five looked at each other. What the hell was going on?

VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAV

Well... Yugi is an innocent. He's basically been exposed to good people and bullies. Of course, Joey and Tristan becoming friends... but being possessed and your body killing someone... it's got to be scary as hell. And, well... you do have to go to court even for killing in self-defense.


	13. Alliance

Disclaimer: It was cool, seeing little Yugi kick ass in the Legendary Heroes Arc. But if I owned it, he wouldn't have stayed out of it after calling Yami.

In the show, Joey is the one who identifies the fairy as an ally, a common video game convention apparently, but this is in a filler arc. In the manga, there's no way Joey would have known the game, since he's really poor, and...

VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAV

Joey smiled. That had been easy. All he had to do to beat those zombies had been to play the card Yugi (or was it Yami? He couldn't remember) had guided him to use against Bones.

Yugi had summoned Dark Magician, but had just attacked. Normally, Yugi would have thought up a strategy long before Joey did, but now...

Joey frowned at his thingy. What had Kaiba called the one he used on the island? Duel Disk, right?

Anyway, why hadn't his lifepoints come back up? That was annoying. Good thing it was just a game.

"Joey, why are you standing around? We have to find Mokuba and Yami!" Yugi said impatiently.

"Coming'." Joey paused to snag the card that had appeared when he beat the zombies. The number five and a stack of gold coins. Never turn down money.

Near the edge of the graveyard, he paused. Something had moved!

"What the hell?" It was a little fairy!

Yugi came back and looked. He frowned. It looks a little like a Fairy Guardian... I think it might be a Key Mace, but I'm not sure."

Joey stared. _Yugi_, not sure about a card? This from the guy who had even heard of Toon World, which had never been released? The guy was out of it.

"Anyway," Yugi said, "It's trying to tell us something. Have you ever played the Legend of Zelda games?"

"Uh... I've played Mario at Tristan's house, and arcade games, but I don't own any consoles. Or a computer." If he had the money and was crazy enough to waste it on that, his dad would just sell it for booze.

"Well, fairies help you. If we follow this one, we might end up where Yami and Mokuba are!"

At that, the fairy flew off. Yugi and Joey ran after. They lost it at the edge of a cliff. Yugi was wondering if it had been a trick when Joey pointed down. There was a city! Yami and the others had to be there!

Joey nudged him and pointed to the way down.

VAVAVAVAVAV

The trip down to the city was fairly uneventful. A few minor monsters, nothing worth more than one of what Joey had dubbed Gold Cards. So far, Joey was unimpressed with the game.

But he was getting more and more worried about Yugi.

Yugi didn't really think going after Yami was right. He was forcing himself to do it. And it was eating him up inside.

Yeah, Yami had killed the bastard, but the bastard was, well, a bastard. Kaiba had been a complete jerk, but parading his zombie brother out in front of him... sure, Mokuba had poisoned him, Joey reasoned, but even so...

The thing was, Yugi had a rather black-and-white view of the world. Possibly due to his Gramps not letting him watch TV. Sometimes, you just had to kill. You'd think Yugi had grasped this concept. After all, the whole lifepoint thing... dueling was a metaphor for mortal combat.

Yugi ranted on. It was sounding more and more to Joey like he wasn't trying to explain things to Joey, who he still seemed to believe approved, but to himself.

Joey began to think it was a really, really good thing Kaiba had taken the puzzle. If Yugi had killed Yami... who knew what the kid would have done to himself afterwards, if he thought there was no justifiable homicide.

After all, Yugi was actually pretty sheltered. And with his Grandpa gone... it had been a hugely stressful time. The kid didn't know how to deal.

And Joey didn't know how to explain things. Yugi would just call him a traitor if he tried to say Yami had been justified.

He'd just have to get the two of them to talk to each other. That was all he could do. And this was a good place. Yugi couldn't get at the puzzle here. So... where was Yami? He was around here somewhere...

VAVAVAVAVAV

Yami sat down in a clearing. This was as good a place as any.

He'd used the computers in the room to set up protective spell on Mokuba's pod and the surroundings, but those spells had been keyed to ill intent. His Aibou... Yugi and his friends hadn't had any intent to harm Mokuba or the other person present. So he hadn't realized they were there until Yugi and Joey had already entered the game. And now they were players, and to remove them, possible allies, would be to risk losing. Losing Seto.

But... he didn't know what to do. Aibou... Aibou had... he sobbed into Seto's mental shoulder. But on the outside he remained calm. Waiting.

In a minute, they were there. He kissed Seto goodbye and blocked the link. He didn't want him to hear this.

"You!" Yugi yelled. But he didn't come and attack. He stood back, wary. Expecting Yami to attack him. It almost broke his heart.

"Aibou." He bowed his head.

"How... how dare you call me that! After you possessed me and killed him! Seto, Pegasus... what are you doing with Mokuba?! How many people are you planning to kill! I trusted you! Well, I unleashed you, so I'm going to stop you! I challenge you, you evil spirit!" Yugi... was Yugi trying to hold back tears?

"I would be honored to duel you, Yugi. But not now. Seto is in danger, and I and Mokuba are here to aid him."

Joey frowned. Why were both of them calling Kaiba by his first name? Maybe Yami had been given permission, he had saved Kaiba's and his brother's asses, but why was Yugi...

"What do you mean he's in danger?!" Yugi almost yelled. "What did you do?"

"I did nothing. You remember the board of his company, who allied with Pegasus? They wove a trap for him, and this game is it. To rescue him, the game must be defeated. Mokuba is assisting me, and I hope to enlist Mai, but the game requires a party of at least four in addition to Kaiba. Would you help?"

"Help you!?" Yugi yelled.

Joey held up his hands. "Whoa. Wait a second. Mai is here?"

"Yes, she was hired to test out the game. She is at the stadium in the city outside this forest."

"Is she going to be okay?"

"Well... the plan is for the game to 'malfunction,' killing all the players. A 'horrible mistake.' I believe Mai was invited to make it less clear Seto was the target."

"They die." Joey saw red.

"Joey!" Yugi said, shocked.

"Yug', some people... you just can't let live."

Yugi looked stricken. He didn't know what to say. That was so wrong, but Yami... he couldn't let him hurt anymore people. But Pegasus had been hurting people too... Grandpa had been fading. If his soul had been gone much longer...

He couldn't...

"Sure, we'll help Moneybags. Right, buddy?"

Yugi looked at Joey questioningly.

Joey bent down and whispered to him. "Well, if he's telling the truth, then we can't let Mai, Kaiba and Mokuba get killed. If he's lying... then we'll know."

Yugi nodded. He turned to Yami. "Okay, we'll help. But no killing."

Yami sighed, ashamed. "I wasn't planning on it." He stood up. "Shall we go? Mokuba is waiting."

Yami led the way. Once the city was in sight however, he was overtaken by Joey, eager to see Mai. He found himself walking next to Yugi, who seemed very uncomfortable.

Yugi kept glancing over at him and looking away. He seemed to be thinking about something.

Yami was distressed that Yugi was unhappy, but on the other hand... did Yugi still have doubts? Was it possible to be reconciled with him? Yugi had a very strong mind: if he decided to close it Yami was doomed, but it seemed Yugi still...

Yugi told himself not to get his hopes up. Yugi had refused to forgive him for almost killing Seto. Now that he actually had killed... this might be the last he would see of his beautiful little one.

He began trying to commit Yugi's profile, every hair on his head, to memory.

"What?! Why are you staring at me?!" Yugi finally said after a few glance-then-glance-away-quickly repetitions.

Yami sighed. "It's just been so long since I've seen you..." 'He wouldn't want to hear that I miss him, but...' "I miss you."

"It's only been a few hours." Yugi said through clenched teeth.

Yami sighed, and said with a sad laugh, "Yes, but I didn't exactly get to look at you much."

Yugi remembered how Yami had bowed before him, pleading. His eyes were lost.

Yami's heart ached at the sight. He looked around for Mokuba.

The townspeople kept giving him sympathetic looks. How did the Monsters know?

"Ah," he said. "There's Mokuba." Finally.

Yugi ran forward. "Mokuba! Are you okay?!"

"I was fine until you showed up." Mokuba death-glared Yugi. Yugi took a step back.

"Why..."

"Yami saved my brother, and you made him cry!" Mokuba put his hands on his hips. "You're a big jerk!"

Yugi was even more startled. Not by Mokuba's behavior. He remembered when the kid had been evil. But... Yami had cried? He looked over at Yami, who was looking away.

Mokuba kept glaring. Yugi kept staring at Yami, wheels turning round in his head.

Finally Yami sighed and turned back to Mokuba. "Mokuba, did you find the card we need to cross the desert?"

"Yes." Mokuba said, still glancing at Yugi angrily. "It's the Niwatori. But..." he scuffed his shoes in the dirt. "I didn't find a card of it, and I looked in all the stands."

"It's okay Mokuba, one will turn up." Yami looked around. "Where did Joey go?" He wondered. He had been so distracted by Yugi that he hadn't noticed the boy outpacing them.

They had spent a lot of time wandering around looking for Mokuba... where had Joey got to? He suddenly stopped looking around.

There! On that poster! "The one who can defeat our champion will win the prize Niwatori card."

Why had Mokuba suddenly cried "D'oh!"?

They walked to the Arena, Mokuba keeping between Yami and Yugi and glaring. Yami was happy that Mokuba wished to protect him, but... he wanted to comfort Aibou.

When they were a block away there was cheering, and suddenly Joey was carried out on people's shoulders.

"Hey, Yug'!" He yelled from his perch.

"Joey? What happened?" Yugi yelled.

"Yugi?" They heard a voice in the crowd. Mai ran up to them. Then she stopped and stared. "Two Yugis..." She looked at Yami and said, "So you didn't die?"

Yami smiled sadly. "No. Long story."

"Why is everyone cheering Joey?" Yugi asked.

"Well... Apparently he got lost, and decided to head to a landmark to get found. And saw the sign about the great champion and thought it was me. So, we dueled again and he won, I still can't believe it, and he used Monster Reborn to revive me. So, he got the Niwatori card and now they're throwing him a party." She paused for breath. "This is the best game ever! I am investing some of my millions in buying some of these pod thingies!" She started to go in the direction the crowd had taken Joey. "Come on! There's virtual booze!" She waved her hands in the air. "Party! Party!"

Yami had re-linked with Kaiba for the scene. He looked at Mokuba to show Seto he was alright. Kaiba nudged him. "Oh! Mokuba!"

"Yes?" Mokuba turned.

"Here's your deck. And here." Yami opened a pocket and took out a handful of cards. "Take these."

Mokuba looked at them. "Goblin's Secret Remedy, Red Medicine, Dian Keto the Cure Master..."

"Seto says use them all right now or you are so grounded." Yami smiled.

Mokuba siiighed and threw them all up in the air.

Yami snickered.

Mokuba looked out from under his hair. "Yeah. Laugh."

Between the potions, gold dust, and green leaves covering him, Mokuba _needed_ a shower.

Fortunately, a few seconds one appeared. And another. And another.

"Let me see your life point indicator." Yami said.

Mokuba held out his arm. Yami looked, and smirked. "Seto is marginally less paranoid now."

Mokuba laughed.

Yugi watched.

VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAV

I am immune to the eyes. Unlike Yami.

And Beysie, your wish is granted.


	14. Victory

Disclaimer: If I owned Mai, she would have been shown winning more than one duel, and that one by default!

VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAV

Since Mokuba and Yugi were judged by the innkeeper as too small to drink or be inside the tavern, Mai and Joey had been the only ones to go in and get alcohol. Joey had just taken the drink pressed upon him, the new champion, to be polite, as Yami had confirmed that the virtual alcohol would affect his reflexes in the game.

And Joey hated beer. Because his father loved it.

Mai however, being over the legal age, was chugging it. While staring unobtrusively at Yugi and Yami, seated as far apart as they can get. Finally, she put the glass down.

"Okay." She turned to Joey. "Mind clueing me in? Why are there too Yugis?"

Joey shrugged. "Well, you're not going to believe me, but that one," he pointed to Yami, who had heard the question and was listening, "Is some kinda spirit. Yugi brought him to life when he solved the puzzle. You remember, that huge thing he was wearing? Anyways, he used to help our Yugi," he pointed to Yugi, who was staring off into space, "duel."

"Yeah, I kinda figured." Mai said, staring into space. "I would have noticed two Yugis running around on the island, and the red eyes and stuff... dueling tends to make you superstitious. I have a forty card deck and only three Harpie Ladies. Yet I _always_ get one in my first hand in a duel, no matter how much I shuffle. Everyone has some story, of drawing the perfect card when any other would have screwed them over... we don't talk about it much, but it's real. Everyone knows it is."

"The heart of the cards." Yami acknowledged.

"Huh?" Mai said. Yugi had started listening by now.

"The monsters are real. They can help you, or not." Yami shrugged it off. It was no big deal to him. Simply the way things were.

"Whoa." Mai breathed. She'd always known, inside, that her Harpies were real, but...

"Anyway... You, Yami. Why did you say goodbye like that, after our duel? I mean, here we both are. Why'd you think we'd never meet again?"

Yami looked away. Yugi tried to pretend he wasn't listening. Finally, Yami sighed. "Pegasus... he stole Yugi's grandfather's soul. We came to the tournament to get it back. You remember, the duel with Kaiba?"

"The one that made Yugi act all weird? It... it wasn't just that he lost, was it?"

Yami sighed. "Seto... he was losing, but Mokuba's soul had been stolen as well. The one who won would go on to face Pegasus, and try to reclaim the lost. Seto said that he would jump if we attacked and he lost. He would have had no reason to live, having failed Mokuba. I knew that..." Yami swallowed. "Seto would have had no chance against Pegasus, not having a Millennium Item. He would have failed, and his soul would have been taken as well. Him losing, was the only chance Mokuba had of being saved. So, I attacked. And..." Yami looked away.

"I stopped you." Yugi said blankly. "And I guess you had a point. Seto lost. But... why didn't you tell me why?" He looked at Yami and glared.

"There wasn't time. And after... would you have listened to me?" Yami said softly.

"And then you killed Pegasus. Why should I listen to you now? After you..." Yugi fisted his hands. Then he stood up. "Let's go rescue Seto."

"Finally! Mokuba said, getting up as well. But he still glared at Yugi.

"What the hell?" Mai asked.

"I'll fill you in as we walk." Joey said, getting up and offering her a hand, which she batted away.

When they got to the edge of the desert, Mai was seething about the Big Five. Joey activated the Niwatori card, and they rode off. There were some monsters along the route, but they were easily dealt with.

Finally, they got to the temple Mokuba's informant had said he had seen a prisoner brought to. When they got inside, it was a giant maze. Joey groaned. "Not this again?"

"Huh?" Mai asked.

"Yugi and I ran into some eliminators who used a maze. We kicked their asses, with Yami's help, but it was annoying."

Suddenly, they heard a scream. Joey and Yami ran into the maze, Mokuba following them. The others ran after a moment later, when they saw a labyrinth tank behind them.

Yami's Dark Magician destroyed tank after tank, until they found a girl in the maze, attended by a fairy.

They skidded to a halt.

"Whoa, Mokuba! That girl looks like you!" Joey exclaimed.

"Tell me about it." The girl complained. "I used to be tall and blonde. I had to act like a helpless damsel, but at least I looked good! Then those bastards reprogrammed my character! And my lines still suck! There's no justice."

Suddenly she switched from cynical to innocent, Yami to Yugi. "Oh, thank you brave heroes, for rescuing me! I was lost in this maze!"

Mokuba interrupted. "Do you know where my brother is? He was taken prisoner."

They started to hear voices crying out behind them. "Adina! Where are you, princess?"

"Over here, with these brave heroes!" Adina yelled.

Turning back to them, she said, "Let me take you to the palace, and I will tell you what has befallen your friend."

On their way out, there was a Gate Guardian. Joey summoned the Red Eyes and looked at Yami.

"I don't have that card in my deck!"

"Yug'," Joey yelled. "Summon the Summoned Skull!"

"Okay!"

"Go, Polymerization!" Yami yelled.

"Activate Dragon Nails!" Joey said.

"Black Skull Dragon, attack!" Yugi pointed.

The Gate Guardian was destroyed. "We make a pretty good team, just like with the Paradox Brothers." Joey said, trying not to be too obvious.

"Yes." Yami agreed.

Yugi was silent. He remembered.

They rode in a carriage to the castle. When they got there, Princess Adina was told to skip the info about the dragon, and just tell them if there was any way to the Castle of Dark Illusions Kaiba was being held captive in. Kaiba knew, but giving away info would be cheating. She recounted a legend about heroes escaping the castle, which had a barrier which Duel Monsters could not pass, with a flying ship.

They were give clothes suitable to their status as heroes. Mai approved, but Joey ended up dressed as a barbarian. He was not mollified by being told that outfit went to the strongest hero.

"Kaiba's gonna laugh..." He lamented.

"No, he isn't." Yami said. "He isn't laughing now."

"Huh?" Joey and Yugi said.

"He has the puzzle, so we can share thoughts. And no, he can't tell us how to beat the game. That would be cheating."

Yugi's eyes narrowed. A mind link? Was Yami influencing Seto's mind, like he had Yugi's? But had he enchanted Yugi? He must have!

"Don't worry, in the later stages of the game you can get upgraded armor." Yami said to comfort Joey.

"Armor would be good, given that life points don't regenerate in this." Joey agreed.

"You lost life points?" Yami grabbed Joey's duel disk. "Here." Yami handed Joey a card. It was a trap with an angel on it. "When you take damage, this will increase your life points by a thousand. I'm sorry, I used all the instant increase cards on Mokuba, since Seto was so worried."

"Thanks, man." Joey took the card.

Was Yami helping because he didn't want to lose the game (and lose Seto), or just to help Joey? Yugi didn't know what to think. And did Yami love Seto? But Yami had said he loved him! 'He's just using both of us. He's lying to at least one of us, and if you would lie about that he can't really care for either of us. And he was willing to let Seto die!_ I_ saved Seto, why isn't he grateful to me? But... Seto lost to Pegasus. Yami was the one who rescued Mokuba... why did he care about Mokuba and Grandpa enough to kill for them? Was he just mad at Pegasus and wanted to switch hosts? Aargh! I don't know what to do!'

Yami noticed Mokuba sneaking off. They'd brainstormed in the carriage. Wasn't Seto going to be surprised?

They decided to search the town library for records of the flying ship, when alarm bells rang. The castle was under attack! Swarms of Duel Monsters filled the skies. Yugi tried to activate Black Hole, but a Ninja destroyed it. Another captured Adina in a net.

Joey and Mai tried to rescue her, but they couldn't. She was carried off to the castle, and then the monsters departed.

Once they had gone, 'Mokuba' collapsed to the ground. "Oh no!" he said in a feminine voice. "They've taken Mokuba!"

Yami smiled.

VAVAVAVAVAV

Kaiba frowned. He was getting bored. And why had Yami cut him off?

Suddenly, the Witty Phantom reappeared. "Ha ha." He said in a bored tone. "Your brother was disguised, but we saw through it. Here he is!" The Phantom gestured and Mokuba appeared on the ground.

Kaiba's eyes bulged out. "Why the hell are you in a dress, Mokuba?"

Mokuba, embarrassed, struggled out of it. "To get to you! The princess said she was the target, so I pretended to be her! Yami agreed it was a good plan!" He pulled out a card from his deck. Immediately, it started to rain. The rain rusted Seto's chains, and he was free from the rock. "Oh yeah! Solemn Wishes! Darn, I wanted to cut you loose." Mokuba pouted.

"Ahem? You can still bash me. I'm supposed to fight you." The Phantom said.

Mokuba smiled. "All right! Guardian Angel Joan, bash him!" The angel walked up and tapped him with her sword, causing the Phantom to go into a very funny histrionic death scene. Yami laughed with Seto and Mokuba.

--We're on our way.—

Seto took his deck from Mokuba and proceeded to get his first Blue-Eyes back and wreck havoc on the temple. Muahahaha.

As he busted through the floor into the main chamber and slid down his Blue-Eyes' neck with Mokuba, he saw them.

"Yugi. Valentine. Wheeler." He acknowledged. He looked at Yami. It was obvious how conflicted he was. He seemed tugged by ropes in two directions, to go to Seto's side, and his Aibou's.

Seto solved his dilemma by walking over to him. "All right. I beat the mini-bosses here, so we've cleared this temple. But we still have to beat all the rest..."

"No, you haven't beaten this temple. There is still the Mystic Dragon!" A voice proclaimed viciously from the air.

"No!" Seto yelled. "I escaped, the sacrifice didn't happen, so therefore the Dragon can't be summoned!"

"Who cares about the rules? Prepare yourselves!" And the duelists found themselves in a room that looked like the inside of a computer chip, facing a huge dragon.

Yami sprung into action. "I use Polymerization to fuse the Dark Magician and Buster Blader to create the Dark Paladin!" But the fantastic monster fell to the ground.

"Ha ha ha! Only dragons can fight here!"

"Curse of Dragon!"

"Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"

"Blue-Eyes, arise!"

"Emerald Dragon!"

Yami smiled. "Yugi! Summon the Black Luster Soldier! Seto! Summon the blue-eyes Ultimate!"

"Even the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon is no match for our dragon!" Another voice proclaimed.

"You got it Yami! Activate Polymerization!" Three dragons roared.

"But... the Soldier isn't a dragon!" Yugi said.

"Trust me! Please!" Yami asked.

"Please, Yugi!" Seto added.

There was a long moment of silence. Finally, "I activate the Black Luster Ritual, sacrificing Gaia the Fierce Knight and Kuriboh to summon the Black Luster Soldier!"

A light appeared in Yami's eyes."I activate my third Polymerization! Fuse, Black Luster Soldier and Ultimate Dragon!"

The Soldier mounted the huge dragon. Power flowed from all the dragons on the field to it, increasing its power to nine thousand! "Yugi, Seto, order it to attack!"

"Attack!"

The Mystic Dragon was obliterated.

"As you cheated, you deserve to pay for you crimes! Penalty Game! Illusion of Reality! Stay in this realm forever!"

"NO!!!" the Big Five screamed, as they felt their souls separate from their bodies.

Suddenly, a hole opened up beneath the Duelists. When they opened their eyes, they were on a platform standing before the Princess. She praised them as wonderful heroes and opened up a portal for them to return home. As she sang the spell, she was revealed as the Mystical Elf.

The others ran through, but Yami motioned to Yugi that he wanted him to remain behind. When the others left, the scene faded, leaving them in shadows.

"Seto's safe, let's duel! I'll seal you away forever!" Yugi said grimly.

VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAV

Why does everyone think my Yugi is horrible and stupid!? Why! He's just doing what he thinks is right, being brave and fighting the evil spirit! Siiigh.

I got hooked on Y/Y/S by Shi-koi and Solitaire and Xpyne too.

I hate it when they fight too. So... why am I writing this story again? I hate plot bunnies!

Oh, and the rain in this chapter and the last is three of the permanent trap Solemn Wishes. Raises your life points by 500 every time you draw a card.


	15. Penance

Disclaimer: As I have said before, if I owned Yu-gi-oh, there would be less goddamn dueling!

Siiigh. Is this my reward for posting early? I posted this weekend's chapter of Costume Jewelry on Wednesday, and the only review I have gotten on it is one I begged moonymonster, my hallmate, to do. Is this my reward for not being someone who holds updates hostage for reviews, but posts on completion?

Siiigh. Oh god, I have become a review whore. Shoot me now.

But R&R first. Pwity Pwese?

VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAV

Yami shook his head sadly. "No, Aibou, I cannot duel you as you wish."

"Why not?" Yugi growled.

"Because I promised Seto I would not let myself die. But..." Yami knelt and held out his hands. A sword appeared in them. "By Law, if one refuses a fair contest, the one who challenged them is not bound by the Laws of the Duel, but may do what they please."

"What does that mean?" Yugi said, backing up. What was the sword for?

"It means that as I stand here, you may do to me what you wish. I will not fight you. You may inflict upon me the pain you felt at being used against your will, the pain Pegasus felt. I will take whatever you do to me, trusting you to be fair. Even to the death of this body."

"You... you want me to take that sword and kill you?" Yugi gasped.

"Yes. Since I cannot give you the final death, I can perhaps redeem myself by giving you this death." Yami kept his head bowed. He could feel Seto frantically trying to contact him. –Please, wait Love. There is something I must do.—

Yugi stood shock still. Was Yami serious? But... how would he know? Yami could act, he'd acted like he loved Yugi and then deceived Seto as well. And... actually cutting someone, seeing the blood...

Taking apart the Puzzle had seemed so clean, so sterile. Destroying a spirit, a demon, not a real person. A thing without a name

Yet here Yami knelt, holding out that sword. Peacefully awaiting whatever Yugi chose to do.

Yami had taken off Pegasus's head, the others had said. With no emotions beside annoyance and resignation.

An eye for an eye. Yami should die the same way. But... he wouldn't really die. And...

Yugi didn't know what to do.

He stood there, silent.

After a while, Yami stood up. He walked over, holding the sword by the blade. He touched the hilt to Yugi's right hand and he took it automatically. "Do not feel guilty. If this will buy me some slight forgiveness, some iota less of hate, I will suffer the pain gladly." He knelt again, right in front of Yugi, baring the back of his neck for the blade.

Suddenly, Yugi knew what to do. He held the sword to Yami's neck, and held it there for a moment.

Then he drew it away, and threw the blade. It clattered to the ground a few yards away.

"You suffering doesn't change the fact that other people suffered, Yami. You broke your promise. You lied to me. And to Seto."

Yami looked up, surprised. "When did I lie to you, except by not letting you destroy me? When have I lied to Seto?"

Yugi gazed at him sadly. "You told me you loved me. And then you kissed him. Seto wouldn't kiss you unless he thought you loved him. That's two of us you've lied to, about the most important thing, Yami. I can't forgive you for that."

He turned away. "What you said, about how Seto was going to lose to Pegasus... I can see Seto being willing to die to save Mokuba. He did, literally, ask for it. So, I still can't agree, but I understand. And... I can't help but forgive you. And... you didn't actually do it. You listened to me. You let me have my body back."

"And then... you took me over and killed Pegasus. You did... I admit it. I was losing to Mai. You saved my Grandpa, and Seto and Mokuba, and me as well. But... we lost to Kaiba, and we still made it into the castle. Losing that duel wouldn't have been the end. Maybe, if you had not taken me over, I would have trusted you again, like I did before. I was very close to forgiving you then. Together, we could have won. And no-one would have had to die."

Yugi turned back to Yami, his eyes bright with tears. "You helped me so many times... I miss you. It feels like my heart has been torn out of me, and all I can think of is how I miss it. I'm alone: there's no other presence that soothes me. I... I think I love you. But you don't love me. You lied to me: you used me. Like you're using Seto now. And I can't forgive you, Yami. I can't forgive you for that. No matter how much I want to."

"I am not lying." Yami said, trying to convey his honesty. "I do love you, and Seto as well. I want to be with you again, I want to die so you will be satisfied, but Seto was so alone, and he comforted me, and I can't leave him alone now that he loves me. I can't let the person he loves die. Can't you see that, Aibou? Can't you see that I love you both?"

"Don't call me that!" Yugi yelled angrily. Then he slumped, his anger replaced by sadness and defeat. "Don't call me that. You never saw me as a partner. Or you would not have used me against my will as you did. Don't lie any more, I can't take it. Goodbye."

And Yugi walked through the portal, back to his body, Yami staring after him imploringly. But he didn't turn around.

VAVAVAVAVAV

Seto stood in the room with the Virtual Pod, cradling the Puzzle. ---Goddamn you Yami, speak to me! What the hell is going on? Why are you still there? Answer me, goddamn it!---

He found himself in front of a door with the same design as the Puzzle, banging on it. The only thing he could sense was somber resignation. 'He hasn't... he hasn't chosen to die!? No, he couldn't have! He promised me he wouldn't leave! I can't take anyone else leaving!'

"Yami, come back." He whispered, hugging the puzzle to himself.

He didn't know how long he stood there, before he felt a slight form throw himself into his arms, sending the puzzle away to avoid hitting it.

---Yami.--- He hugged him, relieved. But he was crying again. What had Yugi done this time?

He'd thought... he'd watched Yugi at school when he had first arrived, as he had studied all the students. He didn't think the kid had it in him, to be cruel like this. He'd seemed like such a sweet little chump, a pushover. How could he resist Yami?

How could he hurt him like this? He'd seemed so... nice, Kaiba knew the word now. Almost trustworthy.

He didn't deserve Yami, if he hurt him like this. So cruelly that Seto's strong one was shivering in his arms and torment flooded into him along the link.

He sent reassurance as hard as he could. As Yami had done for him, when he had feared the center of his world thought he was evil.

And he coaxed Yami into showing him the memory, and he saw how the one Yami needed rejected him now for loving Seto. And how despite this, Yami had refused to reject Seto.

Had affirmed that he would not die. That he would not leave, would not abandon him as everyone had, as even Mokuba would one day. But Yami was a spirit, right? He wouldn't die as long as the puzzle was complete, right?

---Promise me. Promise me you'll stay, stay with me. Live for me. Won't leave me alone. I've given you my love. I've let you in. You have the power to break me. Don't, please. Please, love.---

--I won't Seto. I won't.—Hands reached up and grasped his face. –Hold me? I need you too. My Other hates me, and I cannot find the words to make it right. I don't even know if those words exist.—

---And if they don't, will you stay? Can I make you happy? Will you make me happy?--- Seto asked as he looked into burgundy eyes.

--I... I will do my best. But do not trust my word. I promised myself I would let my little one break me for what I did. I believed I could not wish to live, having betrayed him. And now... now I have betrayed him twice over. And now... the gods have damned me, but I love you. I swear on my broken word that I will always love you.—

Yami kissed him, and it tasted of bitter salt. –Please... don't hate me, don't reject me? Please, Seto? I... I know I don't deserve you...--

---Well, I don't deserve you, so that makes us even.--- And Seto kissed him back, hard, devouring him as he knew Yami needed to be devoured. ---Come on, let's go find Mokuba and go home. It's been a long day.---

He _pulled_, and brought Yami with him. They appeared in the same inner corridor he had waited in. Seto opened the other door, knowing without knowing just what to do.

He pulled Yami inside the lab. Over to the little cot that was where he caught brief naps during projects. This was his place, only his. He'd designed it. Cool, white and sterile: it was peace and fun to him. Where he proved himself. Where he was a genius, the place of his power and pride.

He had it because of Yami. Before... when he went inside himself, he was bombarded with Gozaburo's 'training' room.

Since Death-T... he was his own person again. The person he had made himself.

Still not... normal, happy. He could have made himself that way: he'd had the freedom to reassemble his personality any way he chose, but...

It hadn't been safe.

He'd thought it would never be safe.

Until Yami came again.

So he tucked him in the bed that had grown big enough for two, and handed him a Blue-Eyes plushie that had appeared out of nowhere, and ran his fingers through his beautiful hair, and stayed and soothed him to sleep as he walked out the door of the Virtual Pod Lab to go find Mokuba.

The Puzzle hung around his neck.

VAVAVAVAVAV

The pod's cover came off and Yugi climbed out and looked at everyone around him. "Sorry I took so long, guys. I wanted to challenge Yami, but he wouldn't duel me."

"He turned down a duel?" Everyone looked surprised.

Yugi sighed. "He promised Seto he wouldn't let me break the Puzzle. So..." He shrugged.

"What took so long then?" Tea asked, wondering.

"...We talked." Yugi said shortly. He looked around. "Where's Mokuba?"

"Oh, he ran off as soon as he woke up. He wanted to get back to his bro." Jou looked approving. The Kaibas were jerks... or so he'd thought, until all this stuff had happened, but it was nice to see siblings together. Like Serenity and him couldn't be.

Damn dad.

Oh well.

"What did you talk about?" Mai asked. She frowned to herself. "Why does he look like you, anyways? Is it just that you solved that thingy and woke him up? But... you two aren't identical... I thought something was odd, when I hooked up with you guys after all the duels the first day. And at dinner in the castle the next day. He's taller, seeing you two together, and his hair's tamer, and his eyes are red."

Jou elbowed her.

Oh. Yugi was uncomfortable. Who cared?

"Look, Yugi. I know it's none of my business, but I have a reputation as an interfering bitch to maintain. So what if he killed that bastard? I saw what he did to Kaiba and the twerp. Someone had to take him out, if he wouldn't stop. 'Yami' is an honorable guy. He would have given him a warning. He did, right?" She asked, turning to Jou.

Jou and the others nodded. "He said Pegasus knew what Yami would do if he didn't free all the souls he'd taken."

"See?" She said, turning back to Yugi. "And he apologized, right? I mean, if he took you over to do it, that's something to apologize for. And you have a right to be pissed. But Pegasus..." She shook her head.

Yugi sighed, and his shoulders slumped. "I... I've almost forgiven him for that. I'm angry, but... He did what he thought was right. I would want him back, but... he lied to me. And he's lying to Seto. And I can't forgive him for that." He looked away.

Everyone looked at each other.

VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAV

One person reviewed CJ I was writing this! Thanks, Chibi-Pepsi13!

Something that interests me is that in the manga, they make it clear that post Death-T, Kaiba got to put his personality together the way he wanted it. So... why would he choose to still be so wounded that he needed Battle City, which is basically his attempt to seek self-worth, to head toward finally being healed? Because he was convinced he needed his scars, his armor, to survive. So we end up with SuspiciousBastard!Seto instead of HomicidalBastard!Kaiba. It's very interesting, how he does the best he can, but still knows he needs to do better to become a good brother.

I hope this make it more clear where Yugi is coming from. Thanks everyone who understood what he was going through! Innocent: loved your review.

Here is her review: I don't think that your Yugi is horrible or stupid! Okay I can't help wincing a little at some of his speeches and actions but he's standing up to someone he really believes is a murderer, and who might just kill him and anyone in the vicinity. That's actually pretty brave of Yugi when you think about it.  
I think that some of the dislike come from the fact that Yugi's faults and mistakes have been really focussed on, while Yami (and to a lesser extent Seto) are portrayed as being somewhat perfect and always right, which makes Yugi look even worse in comparison. As an example with the virtual world (wonderful plot twist by the way :) ) its made so clear that Yami and Seto are in such complete control and in no danger whatsoever that Yugi entering the game as well comes across as, well, annoying interference. And when he starts in on Yami it does create a bit of a feeling of resentment, a sort of 'well who invited you anyway?' attitude which obscures the fact that Yugi's joining in was an act of concern and compassion.  
It also obscures the very real issues that Yugi has, because lets be honest, Yami calling Yugi aibou prior to the duelist kingdom pegasus duel is a bit of a joke. Being thrown in your soul room and kept there until your other half has resolved the situation to his satisfaction can not be considered a parntership. With the best of intentions Yami has kept all the power and control in his hands and I think that anyone in Yugi's position is going to feel helpless, dominated and agitated no matter how 'nice' or 'good' Yami appears. It's not until Yugi refuses to co-operate any more and almost forces Yami to treat him as an equal that the relationship developes into the partnership based on mutual trust that we all love.  
And obviously as they never got to that point in this fic, Yugi's reactions aren't that much of a surprise. I'm sure though once they get it all hashed out everything will be fine :)  
And that's what I really love about this story. That despite the misery, misunderstandings and torment it's all about people's healthy developments. Yugi's asserting his independence, Yami is re-learning how to live, and Kaiba is beginning to appreciate other people for their individual worth.  
It's great :) Now all they have to do is start getting along...

This review makes me feel very sad. I tried to show that Yami had made a mistake, and was the one who had been horrible to Yugi, not the other way around. And I said that the game needed more players, explaining why Yugi's involvement was needed. I guess I didn't do a good enough job. Yugi is not a bad guy in this fic: he is merely a principled person who is being asked to forgive horrible crimes against him and Pegasus, who was once a decent human being, without being given good reasons to do so. I tried to address the complaints people had raised about my Yugi in this chapter before reading this review. I'm glad I managed to cover most of them. But I still thought it would be good for people to read this wonderful review.


	16. Ease

Disclaimer: If I owned Yu-gi-oh, there would be shonen-ai at least!

I am writing till 1. Lets see how much I get done. I will finish this at least.

VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAV

Tea finally broke the silence. "What is he lying to you about?" She remembered. She remembered… Yami saving her from the convict, the fake psychic, Shadi, the bomber (when she'd been in love with that mysterious presence that filled her best friend), that rapist…

She didn't really know what to think about any of this. But… Yugi, her best friend, not giving someone a second chance… it wasn't like him. It was wrong. He wasn't acting like himself.

The innocent was forcing himself to turn into a fanatic. And part of him was resisting, and it was tearing him apart.

She had to do something.

"He…" Yugi would tell her, even if he wouldn't tell anyone else. "He… when he came to let me take over, after he mur…" HE took a deep breath. "Killed Pegasus, he kissed me. Said he'd killed him because he loved me, to protect me. Said he'd let me destroy the puzzle, so I wouldn't have to be afraid of him taking me over again, to kill you. That's why…" Yugi took another deep breath. Was…. Was he fighting back tears? "That's why I wouldn't let him take over to duel you, Mai. Because, in the duel with Kaiba… he'd been willing to let Seto jump off a battlement, rather than lose. And I stopped him, but…"

Yugi took another deep breath. "He wasn't sorry. Not at all. I could tell. He only regretted losing. He didn't care that he had almost let Seto die. I was afraid… if he could do that to Seto, what about you, Mai? Or you, Joey? Or anyone I faced in the finals? I knew… he had magic. What if he started to lose against one of you, and decided to stop your heart? What if he didn't let me take over again? What if I'd only been able to stop him that last time because he was shocked I wouldn't obey him. He was shocked. Shocked I stopped him. He…" Yugi started to laugh, quietly. "He didn't understand. Didn't understand that it was wrong, what he wanted to do. He thought it was the right decision."

"I was so scared then, of what was inside of me. I… I'd thought he was kind, my protector, but so cold-blooded a killer… what if he really was a demon? What had happened to those who threatened me before? I never heard from them again, after he took over, except Seto and Mokuba, and Ushio… he drove Ushio insane."

They remembered.

Yugi cowering in the aftermath of the battle. Gasping out, terrified, how afraid he was of the spirit inside of him, how it had been willing to kill Kaiba.

How their brave little buddy had refused to duel again.

Tea remembered ferociously defending her best friend against Kaiba, using bitter words but barely paying attention to what fell from her lips. Screw Kaiba. What was important was Yugi, afraid, broken.

Had she done the right thing, in crying out to Yugi to spare Kaiba? But she had been right. It wasn't him doing it. It was something he should never do.

But did that matter, when the result was this?

In those moments, she'd come dangerously close to wishing she'd stayed silent, and let Kaiba go off the edge.

He wasn't worth this pain in her friend's heart.

Joey remembered hauling Yugi in front of the door to the castle, enraged. Just enraged. How could… Yugi was so close! Just a few feet away, just through those doors, Yugi had had the chance to save his grandfather, like Joey knew inside he couldn't save Serenity.

Everyone had always known he was worthless. His father, his teachers… his mom had left him behind, hadn't she? Serenity hadn't made very much effort to come visit him, either. He hadn't seen her in years. And then she only sent that tape.

But Yugi… Yugi could do this. And it was wrong. Wrong to see him waste it, like that complete moron Kaiba was wasting what he had, torturing his brother with Death-T, then letting him get kidnapped. They both, Kaiba and Yugi, had come so close, closer than he would ever be.

And they were throwing it away, and he couldn't find the words to get through to them that they were making the biggest mistake of their lives, before it was too late.

And God Damn it, but it made him so angry he wanted to scream at the sky…

And Tristan remembered what Bakura had said, how Yugi had another spirit. Like his.

Like Bakura's.

He remembered the other Bakura.

Remembered death and sadistic laughter and darkness and wondered.

Wondered what this was all about.

What was this other Yugi? He'd thought he was all right, a decent guy, he'd helped them out, but…

Why?

Why help out them? They were nothing special. Well… except Yugi. Everyone could tell Yugi was special.

But the rest of them? The phrase, 'puny mortals,' came to mind.

Yugi, refusing to duel, to give someone another chance… it was completely unlike him. A complete one-eighty.

People don't do things they don't normally do, that are counter to all their beliefs, without damn good reason.

Mai remembered Joey shaking Yugi. Herself ridiculing Yugi for taking one loss so hard, but knowing as soon as she said it that that wasn't it. Not it at all.

But… trying to break him out of it. Because it was wrong. The little guy… he shouldn't be this way.

And everyone defending him like that…

She had had an idea, that there was something major going on. And now…

Yugi… he'd been nice to her, after she'd been a vindictive bitch to Joey. He'd wanted to spare Kaiba, and from the rumors she'd heard about how he'd acquired those Blue-Eyes White Dragons…

Yami had given her that honorable duel she'd wanted. He couldn't… he couldn't be all bad.

Right?

He'd seemed to regret… what he'd done, in the game just now.

Yugi had been so shell-shocked. So scared. So determined to not let… what had ended up happening, happen.

So… it looked like Yugi was a good judge of character. Yami had killed, like Yugi had been afraid he would.

"He… he drove Ushio insane, just for threatening me. I… I visit him, sometimes. He… he seems happy. So… I forgave him." Yugi was hiccupping now. "When Seto stopped me… I wanted to be argued out of it. I wanted to forgive him. Like I wanted to forgive him for almost killing Seto. When… at what point do I stop forgiving? I want to forgive him. I… I just want him back! You can't know what it's like, you can't! It's like, like… someone cut away the left side of my body, I try to take a step and I fall over. He… he became part of me. Oh god, I can't live like this! I _ache_…"

He was straight-out crying now, his head hanging down. Tea opened her arms and he fell into them. She rubbed circles on his back soothingly.

"What did he do to me? Why do I need him like this? I crave him, I ache…" He was crying so hard he couldn't speak for a while.

Finally, "I… I knew, if I waited… I wouldn't be able to get up the will to destroy him. Wouldn't be able to stop myself from doing anything, forgiving anything, just to get him back. So… when Seto brought the Puzzle to school… I saw him, apart from me for only the second time. The first time, he kissed me. The second time, I wanted to kiss him. And he pled and I just wanted him back… but I wasn't going to give in. I wasn't going to be the slave to a murderer for the rest of my life. So… I was going to smash it. But… he told Kaiba not to hand it over. And… I knew. He'd said he was going to let me end it, be free. But Seto stopped it. And… it might have just been gratitude. But now… he had been lying. He wasn't willing to let me be free, wanted to survive and wait for me to break…"

Tea pried Yugi's fingers away from his palms. His nails had dug in so hard they had drawn blood. He hadn't even noticed.

"And… after I left… he kissed Seto. He must have… seduced him, like he tried to do to me. And that's when I came to you guys, and asked you to help me get the puzzle. I knew then… he was just using him to survive. Like he had been using me. All this time…" Sobbing. "Just… just using me. And I know this, and I still… I still want to forgive him. I want to do whatever it takes, just to get him back… he's controlling me. He must be. That… that bastard…"

Yugi was on his knees now, hugging himself and rocking back and forth.

"I… I like Seto. I'm going nuts, I know it. I know I'll get better if I just give in and let him take me over again, but I won't…. I won't just be used. I thought he really cared! Why…" He collapsed, his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking so hard… "I don't want Seto to end up like me, I'll die if Yami does, I know it! I want to free him, so he can survive this!"

Joey and Tea were holding him, as Mai watched in horror and Tristan moved forward to join them.

"And now… being around him, not able to focus on destroying him… him pretending to want to help Seto, and maybe he did want to help him, like he helped me all those times, but why? Was it just that you needed a body?!" Yugi screamed at the sky. "You beg, like you don't know that if you ordered, if you told me that everything would be fine, that I'd crack, just do whatever you want again?! You… you bastard. You murdering bastard. And I can't fight you. I can't fight you anymore. If you touch me I'll break, I'll give in and you'll win, like you always win, except once to Pegasus, and is that why you killed him, and once because of me, and is all this your revenge?"

Everyone was touching him now, at least holding him by the shoulder. It seemed… that he was falling apart, falling away, and needed some sort of anchor, something to hold him here…

"Are you making me go through this to punish me for disobeying you, and entrapping Seto to punish him for defying you, fighting you, so many times? Tell me!" He screamed at the roof. "Tell me! Let me know, beyond a shadow of a doubt! Don't torture me, don't let me torture myself anymore, wanting to forgive you, wanting to find some excuse to forgive you what you're doing and have done to me and Seto and Pegasus and Ushio and everyone else who's ever fought you!" He pounded his fists on the floor and screamed and screamed and sobbed and sobbed and whimpered, finally. His cries of pain not stopping, but simply becoming inaudible as everyone stared in horror and compassion and Anzu held his face and tried to speak, everyone tried finally to get through to him but he wasn't there, he was pounding on the wall where a door marked with the eye that was on the Puzzle had been.

And finally he looked up, eyes blank, and Joey and Anzu and everyone walked him home, and his Grandpa put him to bed, but he couldn't sleep, he just lay in bed waiting for tomorrow, when he would go to school and he didn't know what he'd do.

Smash the puzzle and die and free Seto?

Or give in, just give in and quit fighting and maybe Yami would punish him for disobeying, but the ache would stop, and maybe he could pretend Yami really did love him.

It would be easy.

So, so easy.

VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAV

Get that? This is why Yugi is so convinced that Yami is evil. Remember how Yami is feeling bad because of not being connected to his other half? Well, he had it easy because he knows what's going on and he had Seto and winning back Yugi to focus on. And _he _wanted to die to get Yugi to quit hating him, and get the torment to stop.

Yugi only knows that he's feeling awful because Yami isn't there. And, given that he doesn't know about the bond, and the other-half thing, the only logical explanation is that this torment is happening because of something Yami did to him. For all he knows, Yami is psychologically torturing him to get him to submit. And, Yugi's unconscious just wants to be complete, and is telling the Yugi-conscious to just give in and get Yami back before he goes nuts. So there is an urge to submit, which is more evidence of tampering.

So, we have very, very strong circumstantial evidence here, that Yami is a complete bastard who is willing to do horrible things to Yugi. And Yugi is far enough gone he can't differentiate between "Hey, wait a minute, there could be another explanation/ let's give people a second chance." Which is a natural part of his personality, and "Just find some excuse to give in!" Which in his view is basically enslavement brainwashing.

God, I feel awful torturing him like this.

My new motto: Don't torture characters, torture plotbunnies!


	17. Fate

Disclaimer: If I owned Yu-gi-oh, they would take advantage of Kazuki Takahashi's excellent characters!

A few weeks ago, I posted a fic, First Win. The first time I posted it, I got an error message from ff. net saying the posting had failed, and to try again. I posted it again, and it worked. The next day, I saw I had two copies posted. So I took one down. Now, weeks later, I get a message saying the _one_ remaining copy has been taken down as a duplicate post, and I can't upload until the eighth. So, that is why this is late. I am writing it on the fifth, and will post it as soon as possible. Sorry.

Lemons on Mediaminer, as usual. Go to my bio.

VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAV

"Nii-sama!" Mokuba yelled happily, throwing himself into his brother's arms. "Wasn't that cool!?"

Seto smiled. "Yes, it was, wasn't it?"

"It's too bad the Big Five cheated, isn't it? If we'd had to play to the end, I would have gotten to duel! Jerks!" Mokuba complained.

Seto smiled slightly.

Mokuba glared, hands on hips. "You didn't want me to duel, did you? Nii-sama is a jerk!"

"Mokuba… that game wasn't just a game, you know. We were in danger." Seto raised an eyebrow.

"Why'd you let me play in the first place then?"

Seto looked away.

"Whyyy, Nii-sama?" Mokuba applied the puppy-dog eyes. He had a pretty good idea of why, but he wanted to make Seto admit it. It would be good for him. Yes, he was sadistic. Why do you ask?

"BecauseYamiwantedyouto." Seto muttered, not meeting Mokuba's eyes.

"I couldn't hear you, Nii-sama." Mokuba said innocently.

"Because Yami said you wouldn't be in danger. And I said I would wring his neck if you were hurt."

"And since when do you trust people about things like this?" Mokuba asked gleefully, grabbing Seto's hand.

"Mokuba…. Let's just get in the limo and go home, alright?" Seto said warningly.

Mokuba decided to shut up… for now.

Once they had got in the limo and the partition was up so the driver couldn't hear them, Mokuba changed the subject… slightly.

"So… where's Yami?"

"Asleep." Seto said shortly.

"In here?" Mokuba asked, poking the Puzzle, which was on Yugi's cord around Seto's neck. "If you're gonna wear it, you might want to replace that cord. It doesn't go with your trench coat."

Seto raised an eyebrow.

"Well, it's just a plain brown cord. It's too… farmery. A steel chain would be much cooler!" Mokuba said, continuing to poke the Puzzle.

"I never said I was going to wear it." Seto said firmly. "And Yami said he can make it invisible, anyway. I'm not going to go around looking like a rapper, Mokuba."

"Yugi doesn't look like a rapper." Mokuba pointed out. Poke.

"Yugi looks like a kindergartner."

"He's six months older than you." Mokuba said gleefully. "But I'm just as tall as him! Once I get my growth spurt, you're going to be the little brother, Nii-sama!" Poke.

Seto raised an eyebrow at the absurdity of that statement. "How do you know how old Yugi is?"

"I did research on him, after he beat you that first time, before Death-T. I wanted to kick his ass for you, but I cheated and Yami, I guess, beat me and stuck me in a Capsule Monster capsule. You remember?" Poke.

Seto remembered. How his only reaction to Mokuba undergoing a penalty game was annoyance. The other Yugi was_ his_ opponent. "Was it… are you alright, Mokuba? Oh, and next week's allowance is cut by 2500 yen."

"…What!?" Mokuba was too startled to poke.

"You said ass, Mokuba."

"I said _kick_ his ass! That doesn't count!" Mokuba said, outraged. "And you call everyone Ki-sama! It's totally unfair for you to criticize MY language!"

"As long as you are under my roof, you are obeying my rules. And now it's 5000 yen. You said ass _again_." Seto glared, but he was smiling underneath it.

"….." Mokuba muttered under his breath. But… it had been a while since Seto had given a damn about what Mokuba had done. He supposed… a few stupid rules were worth being cared about again.

"Mokuba… were you alright? The penalty game?" Seto was concerned. Yay!

"I'm fine, Nii-sama. It was pretty scary, but I deserved it. It didn't even make me stop cheating!" Mokuba grinned wickedly. Poke.

"Mokuba… why do you keep poking the Puzzle?" Seto asked, eyebrows raised.

"'Cause it's shiiiny. And I want to talk to Yami!" Mokuba pouted.

"I told you. He's asleep." Seto said. "And what do you want to talk to him about, anyway?"

"I saw him motion to Yugi before I left the Virtual World. I want to know what they talked about. Did they make up?" Mokuba asked enthusiastically, hyper and curious.

Seto sighed. "I… I don't know what they said, but it didn't go well."

"Oh." Mokuba's face fell. "Or… is that a good thing?"

"What?!" Seto asked, startled. He… he'd been wondering that himself.

"Well… Nii-sama, do you like Yami? You, in the car… you were hugging him. You don't hug people." Mokuba searched his brother's eyes.

"…" Seto looked away. "Mokuba… you know I don't… Yami's my rival, and he wants to be back with Yugi, and…" 'I'm lying to him.' Seto sighed in defeat. "Yes… I do… like him. A lot."

"I knew it!" Mokuba grinned. "Have you slept together?"

"…Mokuba!" Seto exclaimed, startled. "I know we haven't had the talk yet. Who told you about…that?"

Mokuba looked at him patronizingly and patted him on the shoulder. "Nii-sama… I'm thirteen, not six. And I go to public school. Do you want tips?"

Seto was looking traumatized. "Who are you and what have you done with my innocent little brother?"

Mokuba giggled. "Well?"

"Well… we just met!" Seto hastily tried to cover it up. ---Help!---

"Quit teasing your brother, Mokuba." Yami appeared, smiling. "It's not really any of your business, now is it?" He said chidingly. The effect was ruined by the smirk.

A quick smirk back. "But we're brothers, and brothers are supposed to look out for each other!" Mokuba looked at Seto, his eyes full of innocent earnestness. "You did use protection, right, Nii-sama?"

Seto turned bright red.

"Cool! You're blushing!" Mokuba threw his hands in the air in victory. "Are you going to get married? That means I get another brother! Cool!"

He suddenly appeared stern. "Now, if you cheat on him, I _will _send assassins after you." He said, shaking a finger at Yami.

Yami looked away.

Mokuba frowned. "Why aren't you laughing?"

Seto gathered Yami in his arms. "Mokuba… it's kind of complicated. Yami… he needs Yugi. So… I have to try to get them back together. It… it's really hurting Yami, that they're apart like this."

"No way!" Mokuba said, outraged. "Yami, that's mean! You aren't going to abandon my brother, are you!?"

"No, I will not." Yami said softly. "I promised… not to die, not to forsake him. But… still… it hurts. It hurts, being incomplete." He gently kissed Seto's shoulder. "I love your brother. He gave me a reason to live. But… I love Yugi as well. He is… everything that completes me."

"Even though he's being really mean to you?" Mokuba asked.

Yami turned to him and raised an eyebrow. "You ought to understand."

"Yes." Mokuba breathed. "I understand. I never gave up on Nii-sama. I remembered who he truly was, and I loved him for that. And what he became, for my sake… I couldn't help but love my brother even more. The one I hated was myself, that he would have to suffer so much for me. I…" He looked at Seto. "I'm not worth it, Nii-sama. I'm not."

"You knew…" Seto gasped.

Mokuba raised an eyebrow, and nodded sadly. "I knew."

Yami laughed sadly. "And I am not worth the danger and heartbreak Yugi has suffered because of me. Shadi turning his friend into a puppet, the evil Bakura sealing him and his friends into figurines and then cards, Pegasus stealing his grandfather… it is right, that he has rejected me. He… he kept trusting me, as I took him over to deal out vengeance. I knew… I knew I didn't deserve this, deserve him. That's why I never spoke to him. If he saw who, what I was, he'd know I deserved his hate… how could someone so pure tolerate the darkness that I am? I named myself Yami, for what I am. I can't deny it. I am darkness. Just… darkness." His voice broke on the last word.

Seto held him tighter and rubbed circles on his back, whispering nothings along their link.

"He… he's got to still care about you, he's got to!" Mokuba said fiercely. "You've protected him for so long, he's got to understand! I don't know you that well, but you freed us and you've helped Nii-sama a whole lot… You're a good person. Yugi's gotta understand that, he's gotta!"

---Yes… how could he not want you back? You're… you're perfect, Yami.---

--Seto…-- Yami reached up to kiss Seto, but then the limousine arrived at the mansion and Yami disappeared so the driver wouldn't see him. But Seto could still feel him, wrapped lovingly around his mind. He tried to… Yami was so cold, so tired. He needed… light, warmth. And Seto wasn't enough.

Yami needed Yugi. Seto couldn't deny it, no matter how hard he tried.

Mokuba and Seto talked at the dinner table, but it was subdued without Yami. Still, they enjoyed it. Before, before Yami they hadn't… they had almost forgotten what it was like to be normal brothers. Okay, there was technically a sort of a parent/child relationship too, since he was Mokuba's legal guardian, but they hadn't been anything like that for a while either. They hadn't eaten together, or played together, or just talked like this.

Mokuba left the subjects of Yami and of his and Seto's past alone, and so did he. Even though he wanted to know just what Mokuba knew. He knew he had failed, in keeping Mokuba safe and happy. In continuing to care. He should have been outraged that Yami had penalty gamed Mokuba. He'd been so far gone, before Death-T.

He had a lot to thank Yami for. Now, he had this. Mokuba talking about his friends from school, just a quiet, normal family dinner. He pointed this out, and Mokuba laughed.

"You know, a lot of kids I know complain about their parents trying to ask about their day around the dinner table, when they just want to go play games. So they try to be as annoying as possible until their parents give up. But I actually _want_ to talk to you. I like this. We aren't a _normal _family, Nii-sama. We're extraordinary!" And Mokuba just looked so _happy_…

Seto smiled. And then burst out laughing. He just couldn't keep it in. And Yami laughed with him.

VAVAVAVAVAV

Late that night, after Seto had gotten ready to go to bed, he found Yami in his bed. He got in, as close to him as he could get. Yami reached out and stroked his face. –Seto… do you… I want…--

Yami was naked, under the sheets. Pressed up against him like this… ---You only had to ask.---

--Then… would you, as I did for you… I want that. I want to give myself to you, to know I am wanted. To prove to you I am yours. Please?—

Yami looked… so soft and shy and vulnerable. So open, pleading and wanting. It made Seto feel wanted, needed. He smiled, and bent over to taste Yami again. It had just been last night, but it felt like it had been so long…

Yami lay passive, surrendered to whatever Seto wished. Like last night, but now Seto wanted to give Yami what he wanted, not the other way around. But it really was what they both wanted.

Afterwards, they lay there, breathing quietly. Yami was glad Seto was asleep. It had been wonderful, but…

Right when Seto had come, when he'd felt love and desire and passion and pleasure, then Seto had glowed with the light of the star he was. Just then, just for a second, Yami had felt warm.

But the moment ended.

Seto was a star, not a sun. His light was a comfort at night, but Yami couldn't warm himself at it. He would snuff it. So, so fragile, Seto was, and always would be.

He wanted to kiss him, but what if a tear fell on him, and woke him up? What if Seto saw, and tried to be brighter, and burnt himself out?

So Yami turned his head to the side, and made the tears disappear as soon as they fell, so Seto wouldn't find a wet pillow in the morning.

Oh gods, how he missed his light. Missed walking out in spirit form, invisible, and watching him with his friends, seeing that open smile…

He'd made a mistake, in loving Seto. If Yugi didn't take him back (and why would he?) Yami would dwindle and die, he knew that now. And Seto would be hurt, again.

Yami couldn't keep his promise, to stay with him.

Why did he always betray the ones he loved?

VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAV

Thanks for all the reviews!

True, Akunadin does look a little like Gozaburo… but he always reminded me more of Malik's dad.

Yes, Yugi is concerned about Seto very much. Yugi has had a crush on Seto for a long time, as I've hinted, and here Seto is in Yami's clutches… also a bit of jealously, Yami stealing Yugi's love. He thinks Seto's only chance is for Yami to be destroyed before he can do to Seto what he thinks Yami did to him (causing the whole withdrawal thing).


	18. Perfection

Disclaimer: If I owned Yu-gi-oh, Seto would have been adopted by Solomon. Two gamer grandsons, the man would have been thrilled.

Seto has all the symptoms of Asperger Syndrome. Difficulty communicating, dislike of socializing, getting obsessed…So did Yamaki from Digimon Tamers. Tell me the incessant cigarette lighter-flicking wasn't a stim!

Oh, and Japanese people have school on Saturdays.

Sorry about huge delays, no internet access for laptop while at home.

VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAV

When Seto woke up, Yami was still there, sprawled out beneath him. He just looked. It was a Sunday morning, so he didn't have anywhere to go. Yami was so beautiful… but after a while, he frowned.

Seto had never been the best at reading people. It was like everyone else had this code book, that no one had ever given him a copy of. He gave orders; he didn't communicate. Now that the Big Five were gone, he was going to have to get good negotiators fast. But even he could tell… something was wrong.

Yami looked so tired, so old… Seto reached down to kiss his cheek. He was so cold…

"Yami?" No response. ---Yami! Answer me!---

"Mmmph…" Yami's eyelids opened on the third try. "Seto…" –What's wrong?—

Seto sighed in relief, and rested his cheek against Yami's. ---You weren't answering.---

Yami nuzzled Seto. Seto was a little jealous. How could everything he did be elegant? –I'm sorry, love.—

---You look sick. Are you alright?---

--I can't get sick. Don't worry.—Yami stilled suddenly, then sighed. –I'm sorry.—

---What for?---

--I just almost lied to you. No, I did lie. A lie of omission is still a lie. I can't get sick. But I'm not well either.—

Seto pulled back far enough to see Yami's sorrowful eyes while his arms reflexively tightened around him. ---What's wrong!?---

--Promise me you won't hate me. No, I can't ask that, can I? I have betrayed you as surely as I have betrayed Yugi.—

Seto's eyes widened. No. No, it couldn't be. Everyone, everyone else betrayed him. Now, he'd finally let someone in, and they… No! Gozaburo couldn't have been right! ---Explain.---

--I promised you I would stay with you, yet… I am a shadow. A shadow is cast by light, I should have known that. I made my promise in good faith. I never meant to hurt you, Seto. Please believe that!—Tears were glimmering in the corners of Yami's eyes.

---You're dying.---

--I'm sorry.—A sigh, and those beautiful eyes closed.

---Don't be sorry, goddamn you!--- Seto picked him up and shook him. ---I'm not letting you die on me, do you hear me! I won't have it!---

Yami's eyes snapped open, shocked. –Seto.—

---What do I have to do? How can I save you!? Tell me!---

--I… I have to be bonded to Yugi again. But… a bond cannot be forged unwillingly. He has to want me back. And… I do not see how that is possible. I can't seem to convince him to forgive me. What I did was inexcusable. I deserve to die for it. I was and am willing, except that it would hurt you.—The tears were falling freely now. –I don't want to hurt you. Please believe me.—

---I believe you, Yami.---Seto hugged him tight, rocking slowly. ---How long do we have?---

--I don't know. I'm much worse now than I was last night, I think because of staying embodied for so long.—

---So get rid of the body.--- Seto got out of bed and began to get dressed, giving Yami a mental hug. His eyes were narrowed.

--If I dematerialize, I won't be able to create another. It takes a lot of energy to run the process. You can recover most of it, so dematerializing and rematerializing isn't a big energy drain, but if you don't have enough energy to run the process… and it's getting harder to concentrate, so I wouldn't be able to do it very efficiently.—

---What exactly do you do? Do you transform air molecules into tissues?---

--…I suppose that would be technically possible, but it's much simpler to just create the matter needed.—

---Wha? That's impossible! What about the conservation of matter and energy?—

--That only applies to physical reactions. It's like alchemy. It's impossible to turn lead into gold by a chemical reaction, but changing one atom into a different one happens all the time in nuclear reactions, or so I understand. It's a different level of understanding of the universe. Or universes, actually.—

---… Nevermind that for now. Can you still make yourself presentable?---

--Yes. Fixing clothes is much less difficult than building something you plan to place your soul inside. You have to be careful nothing else moves in. But why?— Yami thought, yawning.

---We're going to Yugi's.--- Seto finished throwing his clothes on, and was out the door.

In a flash, Yami followed him. "What! Seto…" He stumbled.

Seto turned just in time to see Yami's head hit the marble floor. ---Yami!---

Shadows swirled, and Yami straightened up. –I'm alright, Seto love.—

The shadows hadn't dissipated. Seto ran up to Yami and grabbed him, even though the shadows made him remember being trapped in darkness. ---What's happening?---

--Without the light to balance it, my power is running wild. It will soon begin to encroach on my… personality, you would say. The part of me that is me, Yami, will fade away. I will become merely a spirit of shadows, not a human at all… Yugi!—Yami grabbed Seto and met his eyes. His eyes were filled with alarm. –Get me to him!—

Seto picked Yami up and ran for the garage. No time for a chauffeur. ---What's going on?---

--Yugi is a power of light! If his power awakens, without a human conscience to hold it back… light cannot stand even the slightest darkness! He'll vaporize the planet! That's why all souls are mixtures, light to fight and shadow to protect, and darkness that we know we are imperfect, to keep us human! To be pure is dangerous! My darkness, the flaws that make me an individual… they are dissolving slowly, eroded by the tides of my power. Yugi… his light is going to be fighting his darkness actively!—

VAVAVAVAVAV

He was nothing.

He was weak.

All those bullies… he had let them walk all over him. Let evil go unpunished. Needed another to do for him what he should have done on his own.

It was unforgivable.

He was so hot, burning up… he was becoming irrational, snapping at Grandpa.

The old man was a pervert.

But… he didn't deserve… whatever had happened to his hand, when he'd touched him. If he was that hot, why weren't the sheets burning?

Was this something Yami had done?

No, Yami hadn't done anything. He could see, he could see everything, and Yami hadn't cast any spells on him. That was Truth.

He could see darkness in his Grandpa. He could see darkness everywhere he looked, and it was wrong, so wrong, it made his skin crawl and it was so sickening he threw up, and that was filthy but there was still filth inside him, he could see darkness swirling under his skin and he tried to claw it out but it didn't come out with the blood…

He ran to the bathroom and got in the shower and scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed but he couldn't get clean, the water itself was dirty, there were poisons and germs in it, he could see them all… heat up the water, kill them all! Mustn't let them touch him and get him all dirty, but he was dirty and filthy and unclean…

Every thing he'd ever done wrong was replaying in front of his eyes, and he couldn't close them. Everything the human race had ever done wrong. They were EVIL. How could he not have seen?

VAVAVAVAVAV

Seto's vision was going. Yami had to sit in his lap and drive, he'd taken the knowledge out of Seto's head.

This was what shadows did. Hid things. And it was wonderful.

He couldn't feel anything but Yami. Couldn't feel anger or hate or sadness or failure. He was adrift in a sea of caring, his soul caressed, his cares and sadness falling away…

Light was truth was knowledge was memory. If this kept up, he would forget who he was.

Even that he was a-person-loved-by-Yami. And that scared him more than anything. He was scared, so he clung more tightly to... the dark one.

But slowly the process stopped. They were getting closer.

Suddenly Yami braked and flung himself out the door. Seto shook himself awake and followed.

VAVAVAVAVAV

Yami ran right past Solomon, who was running his hand under the cold water faucet. He could feel Seto behind him, but in front of him was his Aibou, and it had been so long, he needed him so much…

VAVAVAVAVAV

As the distance between him and Yami increased, Seto screamed and fell to the ground. He knew.

He had hurt Mokuba. Designed the weapons that slaughtered countless innocents. He was evil. He was nothing.

Yami.

He needed Yami.

But he didn't deserve Yami.

VAVAVAVAVAV

Yami finally flung the last door out of his way, and there he was, at last! But his eyes were glowing gold, and so was his skin… so delicious!

Yami tackled him. And the light devoured the last of his darkness. And his shadows eroded the last of Yugi's.

VAVAVAVAVAV

And before he could bring the knife to his throat, he saw both less and more. He saw his promise.

He knew how everything he had done, he had done for Mokuba. He knew he had done the best he could. He had needed help, but who didn't, sometimes?

He was loved. He was worthy. His sins were forgiven and forgotten.

And he laughed and laughed. But after a while, he followed the old man up to Yugi's room.

They were gone.

Gone.

They ransacked the house. Nothing. His bond was dead.

He cradled the puzzle and wept. A broken child.

VAVAVAVAVAV

Oh sweet Ra.

Beautiful light… that was where his memories had been all along. How could he not have seen it?

Within his sweet other. Light was truth was knowledge was memory.

And now he swam in that light, and he could feel his other move within him.

And he was forgiven. His other knew, and forgave. And loved him.

Hathor's ecstasy.

They were at last in the realm of the gods. No darkness here, no pain. He wanted to stay here forever.

But as he thought that, he felt himself thrown out. Why, why was there again darkness within him?

A promise. He had wished to break a promise.

And the darkness manifested as sadness and anger. The anger he quashed, Yami quashed, but the sadness… to return to the realm of suffering, to be forever without his light…

The bright one felt him slipping away, and was tainted by sadness. And then anger, at Yami's disgust at himself, for being the cause of the corruption of such a being.

-It's not your fault. This way, we can all be happy. It's my fault. I'm so sorry, Yami.-

As they gazed at the earth spread out beneath them, Yami smiled. –Don't be, little one. Now, let's go find our love.—

Yugi nodded. –But… how long has it been?-

Yami smiled. –As long as we chose it to have been.—

And Seto's arms were full of Yami, kissing and marking his neck, and Yugi apologetically healed his Grandpa's hands, and then gazed shyly up at Seto, who at Yami's nudge spread his arms wider and was glomped by a very happy Yugi.

And Solomon watched and wondered why he wasn't unhappy.

Seto had destroyed the gift of his friend. He had thought he would never forgive him. Just this morning, he had taken out that broken card and dreaded explaining its fate.

But… he had forgiven the boy.

Who knew.

And his Grandson was so happy in his arms, giggling as Yami tickled him, laughing and crying and looking like he was perfect, where he had belonged all along.

So bright. He'd been bright earlier, when he'd burned to the touch. The light of UV, unhealthy light. Wrong light. Now, now everything was as it should be.

He felt giddy, and about 20 years younger. And Seto obviously felt the same. Who knew he could smile like that?

You could forgive him anything, looking like that.

VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAV

Probably one more chapter. With lemon.

Explanation? Light sees. Shadow hides. When they are together, you see the good and don't see the bad. Just light, you see everything, especially your flaws. Just shadow, you can't see at all. Darkness is what makes you human instead of divine, gives you a personality. In small doses. Like an outline. Otherwise, if you are without darkness, you are one with the universe: in Nirvana.


	19. Verity

Disclaimer: If I owned Yu-gi-oh, this would be my job, not a hobby.

Last chapter, sans lemon, which will be posted on mediaminerdotorg and adultfanfictiondotnet (where I'm also Laryna6)… when I do it. I'm back to school, and getting everything set up is using up a lot of my thinking ability. I was hoping to have this posted last weekend, but, well, 5 thousand words of fic done in a week is pretty good.

Here goes nothing.

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

Seto hugged him, smiling. It was still so strange, to hug anyone but Mokuba, but he finally had people who cared about him other than Mokuba. He could feel it, and it felt wonderful. Like his soul was being hugged by them as well as his body, warmth and safety when his world had always been cold and uncaring. Mokuba… Mokuba was trying to support him, trying to help him, but that had made him angry, he realized now.

There were no protectors, except for himself. All those who said they were, or should have been lied. Their parents died, their relatives turned them over to the orphanage, the orphanage hadn't stopped the bullying, and Gozaburo… had not been what Seto had hoped.

Everyone who tried to help him was either lying or doomed. And that was why he had tried to get Mokuba to stop, because it made him feel Mokuba was in danger or that the affection Mokuba had for him wasn't real. Angrier and angrier, until Yami had helped him. And Yugi as well.

The fit together, and he couldn't be jealous, because he had them, and separating him would be like separating him and Mokuba, no, more than that. He'd understood that Yami had hurt, but it must have been like being cut in two. And Yugi… he shuddered at the thought of going through your whole life _missing_ like he had, and never knowing. Worse than what he'd done to himself, killing off the part like Yugi, the part that cared.

He'd been trying to be like Yami. The dark protector, defeating foes with ease, uncaring. And he'd been worse than Yami, even when Yami first awoke, because at least Yami had had Yugi then. And now he had Yugi, too. He laughed just a little, softly, happily, and played with Yugi's hair.

And he laughed more as Yugi stared at him for doing such an un-Kaibaish thing, then laughed brightly as well, Yami joining in chuckling.

And he could feel them, happy for him, in his soul.

People lied, people betrayed, people failed, people hated him… he never really understood what people were thinking, so he had to treat everyone as an enemy, because a lot of them were, and he couldn't fail Mokuba, couldn't lose Kaiba Corp, couldn't lose control.

But he knew that what they showed was real. He could feel their thoughts, they let him see, so he could know, know for certain, for the first time in his life, that he would not be betrayed, that the love they showed was real. He could let his guard down. He could relax. He was among friends.

They'd given him this.

"Well, if we didn't you would probably die of a heart attack before you were fourty." Yugi pointed out, smiling. "And you're our friend, Seto. …I can call you Seto?"

"Or become paranoid and be locked up." Yami added, patting Yugi, causing Yugi to stick his tongue out at him. "And of course you can, right Seto?"

Seto nodded, smirking. "They've tried to have me committed, but I have lawyers other than the one on the board… the one who was on the board, I should say. I need a new board." He grinned. "New executives, without the connections, who I can terrify and keep from getting any real power, and not have to worry about them."

A considering glance.

Yami chuckled. "Yes, I will help you pick them out. You should have more loyal helpers, though you already have some, I think."

"…well, maybe Roland." Seto admitted.

"Come on, Seto." Yugi grinned. "More people have to like you. I liked you, before Death-T, and even after."

Seto snorted. "That's because you're an optimistic idiot who actually trusts people. I work very hard to be a cold, scary bastard, you know." He smiled slightly.

"We know," they both said at once, then grinned at each other. "We should do this more often," they said in stereo again.

Seto laughed.

They joined him, snuggling closer. They were lying on him in a heap on the couch in Yugi's living room, and Seto didn't want to be anywhere else. Although, he probably had places he should be, things to do. That was how his days went, one things after another after another, most of them things he didn't want to do, except for working on his games and playing in Duel Monsters tournaments, and those he had to do less and less because he was a CEO, and CEOs didn't do any actual work, they just sat in meetings. And did paperwork.

It would be nice to have subordinates who he could trust. He'd heard about this thing called 'delegation,' where other people did things like paperwork for you that you didn't want to do or have the time without using them to stab you in the back, which might be good to try sometime.

In fact… "Yami? You know what they used as an excuse to plot against me?"

Yami bowed his head in apology. "That you weren't the World Champion any more, after being defeated, and that hurt sales."

"Oh… I'm sorry!" Yugi said.

"It's okay, I lost 'fair and square.'" A fair duel. Dueling had used to be the only place that things were fair in his life… strangely, he thought he hated Gozaburo for making him into a person who was willing to corrupt that sacred purity more than for just about anything. Turning his game, something meant for fair, harmonious competition into a weapon of war, to give one side an unfair edge to kill people with… Yami understood.

Seto realized yet again that he was understood. He smiled. Still hadn't really sunk in. He kept being startled, over and over again, by proof that this could actually be real. Too good to be true. He smiled wryly. But it is.

He could believe in unfair horrible things happening to him, but not unfair wonderful things. Seto snorted. He should know by now he never got what he deserved. He squeezed them as he said. "Let's duel again. Two out of three?"

"Free publicity? Sure." Yugi smiled, glad he could do something to make it up to him. "Whatever you want."

"You won't win." Yami chided him.

"But I'll come close, and impress the hell out of people. And I could release tapes of our first duel so they know how close I came then. I would have won, if your Grandfather's cards weren't pissed off at me." And he didn't hold any grudges. He's been horrified to find that Exodia had been destroyed. And just a little while before that he'd been willing to destroy a Blue Eyes… they hugged him tight, and he smiled.

"You two are unbelievable, you know that."

Yami smiled. "An ancient Egyptian spirit possessing his reincarnation is unbelievable? I would never have guessed."

"Oh, come on Yami." Yugi grinned. "You take advantage of it to make me look different, because people don't believe their eyes. You think I'm short?" Wobbly eyes.

Seto and Yami laughed, and after a bit Yugi couldn't hide the smile any longer, and joined in.

"If Kaiba Corp was backed by the two, or three, but we won't tell them that," Seto got back on topic, "that would boost sales. Do you want me to sponsor you?"

"You mean pay for us to travel to tournaments and give us free stuff in exchange for us using it?" Yugi asked. "Where do we sign up?"

"I'll have the forms made up as soon as I call and tell them to do it. I could maybe sponsor other duelists…" Seto started to plot.

"Maybe…" Yugi suggested, "Joey wouldn't mind if you let people know you paid for Serenity's operation? That was really nice of you."

"Don't as… all right, I'll sponsor him too. And maybe a few others… Mai Valentine would be good to get signed with us, she's a role model for a lot of female duelists, but she's famous for turning down offers… maybe the American kid…"

Seto plotted, muttering to himself while Yami and Yugi smiled at each other, resting against each other and him. They'd missed this.

Yugi sighed. –I'm sorry. If I'd just forgiven you… I should have known you were a good person, after everything you've done for me.-

Yami squeezed him gently. –You were scared by what I did. I should have explained what I was doing to you when I did it… I'd gotten so used to taking you over, when I should have been treating you as a partner… it's my fault you didn't know. I was acting like Ryou's spirit. I'm so, so sorry.—

-No!- Yugi shook his head. –You're not like him! You're sorry and he'd never be. You were trying to help me, not stabbing my hand when I tried to stop you. You let me have my body back. I should have know I could trust you then. But after seeing Ryou's spirit… I didn't know anymore. He seemed to think you were _worse_ than him. And I trust people when I shouldn't a lot.-

Yami nodded. –I didn't tell you what you needed to know, so you made the best decision you could with what you did know. Even if it meant placing yourself in danger if I was evil, and suffering the pain of our broken bond, you were willing to do it to protect not friends, but opponents! Do you realize how proud I am of you?—He stroked Yugi's hair, smiling.

-It was horrible. And, I didn't understand that it was _this_- Yugi called forth his light, -and not you.-

Yami was horrified. –You thought I was inflicting the pain you felt upon you? And yet you were willing to work with me in the game? I am even more amazed.— Yami pulled Yugi closer and tucked his head under his chin. –Yugi…--

Yugi could feel amazement, guilt, gratitude, and love. –You can call me Partner now, if you want.- He offered shyly, hoping to make him feel better. –We are partners now.-

--I will never go against your wishes again,-- Yami vowed.

Yugi shook his head. –I don't want that either. But… what you do in my body is my business. I want veto power over that, definitely. But you're a person too, Yami. And I'm glad to have met you.- He sighed happily, Yami's shadows curling around him and easing his light. –And not just because of this. I love you, Yami.-

--I know, and you know I love you too. It feels wonderful.—Yami smiled at the warmth of Yugi's light.

---It does.--- Seto agreed. ---You two… we must have met before, the Witty Phantom was right.---

--When we were one.—Yami agreed.

-Huh?- Yugi asked.

--Feel it?—Yami shifted his powers.

-…we match. Equal and opposite…- Yugi's eyes were wide. –That explains this, why I was the one to get you, why I felt so lonely before I solved the puzzle and it was so horrible when we were apart, when I knew what I was missing… I dreamed of you being there…- he blushed.

Yami chuckled. –You are a teenage boy, Partner. And we are beautiful. Seto as well.—

---Damn right I am. Do you know how many people hit on me? Young, hot and rich. Damn annoying.---

Yugi blushed.

---Oh, I don't mind you two.--- He smiled. Yugi was cute and shy, but brave when he had to be. Opposite and equal… Yami had been willing to hurt him if he had to, but Yugi never would want to. He didn't have to be afraid of them. They were safe. He felt their thoughts again, confirming the impossible yet another time.

He… was here, in the arms of someone other than Mokuba. They had forgiven him when others sought revenge, fought for him when others abandoned him, loved him when others hated him. It was unbelievable.

But he had to believe it.

Seto kissed their hair, and smiled.


End file.
